Airmid
by okfinehereaname
Summary: After the death of her mother, MK quits nursing school and removes herself to her father's home in rural Vermont to regain her sense of self. A strange experience leaves her shrunken and stuck in the middle of a deadly conflict between two factions. As MK struggles to return home, she finds her fate becoming increasingly entwined with people from both sides of the war. AU
1. Freak Storm

So I think I've got a decent chapter buffer. I mostly would like to post it to see how it will be received. I've been thinking about writing a fic for this fandom for a long as hell time now, and finally got around to it.

This is not a retelling, as you'll soon see, since there is major canon divergence. When I watched the movie, I wasn't satisfied with seeing the Boggans as the Generically Evil Orc Expy race, especially since decay and rot is so vital to the ecosystem. Their role in the film didn't seem to uphold the theme of balance at all and I wanted to address that. This story attempts to explore a variety of character relationships and interactions and expand on the two cultures of Boggans and Jinn. I've also taken some liberties with character backgrounds, particularly MK's. She's a bit aged up to around 23 in this story. I did a lot of research and work to write and develop this, so I hope you like! In any case, it's been fun to write.

Any feedback is welcome, though I greatly appreciate specificity if it can be managed. :)

Cheers!

* * *

Chapter 1. Freak Storm

"You're Bomba's daughter, aren't you?" The old woman behind the checkout peered at MK.

MK shook herself out of her reverie. "Um, yes? How did you know?"

"Larry mentioned bringing someone up to the old house the other day. But it's the red hair that's a dead giveaway."

MK squinted. "Who's Larry?"

"The cabbie, dear," said the clerk.

_Even the cab driver knows everybody in town. What did I expect?_ MK thought, shoving her hands into her pockets. But what she said was, "Oh, that's nice."

The woman rang up MK's groceries and packed them in brown paper bags. "Is your father still tromping around in the woods?"

MK grimaced at the word choice. "He's still doing his research, yes." She fished in her bag for her cash.

The clerk frowned as she took the money and clicked her tongue. "I tell him every time not to go messing with the forest. He disturbs the aura."

"I—I'm sorry?" MK watched as the old woman slowly counted out the change and found herself wishing she just used a credit card. Then again, that option might not be any quicker.

"Well, you're new around here and a young'un so you're not as well versed in the local lore," the clerk replied.

"There's a lore," MK repeated.

"Oh yes, dear. The long and the short of it is that the forest is filled with guardian spirits who lead intruders astray. Hikers find themselves completely turned around. They seem to be straight shooting, but suddenly, they exit the trail right back where they started!" The woman leaned closer. "And not to mention the people who go missing from time to time when they go too deep."

"So you're saying people get lost in the woods sometimes. Spooky," MK said, taking her grocery bags from the clerk.

The clerk huffed. "Youths these days. Don't take the old legends seriously. That's why the forest claims them." She narrowed her eyes. "Do you go out wandering in the woods?"

"Yeah, I jog. But I stick to the trails."

"Make sure you leave an offering at the foot of the trail. Just to be safe."

"Right…"

A sales assistant walked by, carrying a load of boxes in his arms. "Marcy, quit scaring the new girl. We want her to like us."

Marcy huffed again. "I'm only trying to spread knowledge of the Oak Bridge culture. It's good to know the customs."

The assistant winked at MK. "Don't worry about it. It's just ghost stories." He grinned and headed down the aisles.

MK gave them what she hoped was a smile, then scooted out the door. Maybe that overpriced organic place down the road was worth a shot for next week's grocery run.

She biked up the winding hill from the town with the groceries wobbling in the basket and her ipod blaring in her ears. The door to the house remained unlocked, just as she left it, though she suspected that in the odd case that her dad did accidentally lock her out, all it would take was a swift kick to enter.

A stack of her dad's papers blocked part of the fridge door, and MK growled at him under her breath as she shoved it aside with her foot. Her earbuds continued to pulse with music as she busied herself with organizing the contents of the fridge. A tap on her shoulder made her jump backward into the fridge door. She whirled around.

"Jesus, Dad!"

Her dad recoiled, hands in the air. "Sorry! Sorry! You couldn't hear me."

MK yanked an earphone out and smoothed her hair back to compose herself. "Right, sorry. What's up?"

Bomba shuffled his feet. "I was asking how was town," he said finally.

MK stared at her father. "Dad, seriously."

"Just wanted to make sure you feel comfortable here," he said. He gave an uncertain smile.

MK paused long, trying to make sure her sigh came out as silently as possible. "It's fine, Dad. I told you not to worry about it. I won't even be here that long."

Her dad straightened. "Right, right, no more worrying. I remember the rules!" He tapped his head to show he had it.

She attempted a smile. "I've got this. Go on back to work." He brightened at the prospect of returning to territory more comfortable than small talk and scurried into his office. MK shook her head. He'd been completely absent from her life so long, with not a word to her or Mom, and now suddenly he was so concerned and in her face. If she wanted attention, she would have stayed in New York. Besides, there really was only one rule, and it was "Stop trying to look after me." Aside from the fact that she was twenty-three, and it was weird, of the two of them, he was the one more in need of looking after.

She finished up with storing the groceries and headed toward the stairs, stopping to straighten out some stacks of papers that her dad had left strewn about near the banisters. There were a few more hours to kill before dinner. MK opened her laptop and resumed the daily process of sorting through her files. Her eyes glossed over the browser icon on her desktop, and she contemplated checking her email. There had been a deluge of concern following her after she quit her nursing program and outright vanished from New York.

The thought of sifting through all of that, of continuing to assure everyone that she was fine, but needed a chance to start over, needed her space, and so on and so on, made her teeth clench, so she returned to her filing. Eventually they would stop asking. Eventually, her silence would say enough.

Wind rattled on the windows as another one of Oak Bridge's sudden squalls tore down the hillside. MK grumbled as she cleared her dad's reports off the table and set down a pair of plates covered in food.

She leaned into the doorway of his office. "Dad, dinner."

He grunted in response, scribbling furiously into his notebook. The blue light of the monitors haloed his form.

"Dad, you have five minutes to finish that train of thought and come nourish yourself, or I swear to God, I will reorganize every stack of paper in this house."

That elicited a high whine followed by: "Twenty minutes!"

"Ten."

"Fifteen!"

MK paused, chewing her lip. "Twelve and a half, and that's final." She made her way back into the kitchen and dramatically sat at the table for emphasis.

It was closer to fifteen anyway when he came out, but MK figured she would give him some leeway. She'd found that threatening to rearrange all of his paperwork, which apparently existed in some form of chaotic order known only to him, was an excellent means of motivating him to stop skipping meals. Maybe she wasn't a nurse anymore, but if she was going to let her own father go through any given day fueled solely by old Kit Kats and that nearly expired can of tuna at the back of the cupboard, then she could no longer profess to be a good person.

As she watched him devour his food, she considered again the possibility of staying longer than the intended six months. At least he seemed to be filling out after a week of her cooking.

Already, old emotions stirred themselves from their slumber. For a time, she worried her compassion had withered away and died with her mother, like it had developed a cancer of its own. MK allowed herself a brief smile, while her dad was kept distracted by food. In the remote quiet of the rural town, her soul had begun to breathe once more.

"MK, you should check out what I found today," her dad said after dutifully rinsing his plate off in the sink.

She paused from clearing away the food. "Just a sec." Holding the refrigerator door open with her foot, MK shoved the leftovers, neatly packed in tupperware, amidst the rest of the day's groceries. After a bit of shuffling, she let the door shut itself, satisfied that nothing would come tumbling out upon reopening.

Her dad was waiting for her in the dimly lit office, and he grinned in excitement when she entered. It was so remarkably like entertaining a child.

"What's up?"

He immediately crouched down over the monitor. "Check out this crazy weird behavior demonstrated by these birds." The screen flickered on with flurries of movement. MK leaned forward to peer at the grainy details.

"Okay. Not too sure what I'm looking at exactly," she said.

"Grackles chasing hummingbirds," her dad replied. At MK's blank stare, he pulled out a book. "Grackles aren't predatory of other birds. Their diet consists largely of seeds and insects. And," he pulled up new feeds on the other monitors, "I recorded this chase across several screening zones. It went on for a long time. Even if they were defending territory, a chase wouldn't cover this much range. As far as I know, this is not something that normally happens. Hummingbirds and grackles aren't even competing species! And," he whirled out of the office and back in with his satchel, "I found this when I went to investigate."

Her dad held something out to her, and MK opened her hands to take it. Into her cupped palms, he placed a tiny green saddle.

"Another one of those small objects," she said. The house was littered with them, carefully stowed in display cases which were, in turn, not so carefully strewn about on every surface imaginable.

"A hummingbird sized saddle," her father corrected her. "Now for whom might that be?"

"I dunno, Dad. It could just be some forest hermit who's really enthusiastic about tiny crafts." MK handed him back the saddle, and he pouted.

"Come on, is my theory really less plausible? Plus, how would you explain the artifacts that show up right in the backyard? My cameras would have picked up on any human or large animal."

MK shrugged. "A really stealthy hermit?"

Her dad only sighed. "So many people are enthusiastic about inhuman advanced civilizations existing out in space, yet they can't find it in themselves to believe one exists on their own planet?"

MK's expression softened, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll get there, Dad. You'll get a breakthrough one day."

Her dad smiled. "Yeah, you think so?"

"Definitely." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm going to head up for the night. Make sure you don't stay up too late."

"I promise," he said as he sat back down at the computer, resuming his furious note-taking.

She took one last moment to regard him fondly before heading up the stairs to wind down for the night.

* * *

MK awoke to the steady rise of light filtering through her window. The air outside of the covers was still frigid, despite the warm, golden tinge, and she was careful to avoid touching the wooden floor as she put on her slippers. She shuffled down the stairs in her sweats to have breakfast and prepare for her morning jog. Her father was already nose-deep in his work by the time she'd gotten ready, so after hastily scribbling a note to him, MK made her way out the door.

The entrance to her favorite trail was only a little ways down the hill. Her backpack rattled and banged against her as she ran, but she refused to go anywhere without a hefty first aid kit. Old habits died hard. A brisk wind rumpled her hoodie as she ran, and she hoped there wouldn't be rain. The sun was promising, as were the news reports, but the weather in Oak Bridge didn't keep promises. She stopped at the mouth of the trail. Maybe she should leave a bit of her granola bar for the spirits or whatever. MK slapped her forehead. _What the hell? No! Why are you getting so into that? It's just urban legend. You've been jogging these trails for a week and nothing weird has happened. It's fine._

MK let her mind wander to the beat of her music as her feet fell into a steady rhythm. Golden rays streamed through the leaves above, forming bands of sunlight on the ground. Occasional breaks in the leaf cover gave a view of the expansive sky, thick clouds gathering around the distant mountains. She breathed in deep, and the world smelled of life.

The trail wound its way through the rolling hills of the forest, ending in a lookout point. MK sat at the top, sipping her water and staring at the distant town below. She had to admit, the forest gave off an interesting vibe. If she listened hard enough, she could hear the susurration of song in between the rustling of the trees, soft as the ringing of ears amidst heavy silence. And maybe that was all it was. Still, it reminded her of the audio clip of the modulated bat cries her dad recorded. That one gave her chills, hearing what sounded like dark whispering in the background.

Her phone clock told her it was approaching mid-morning, and her dad would be needing lunch in a couple of hours, so she dusted herself off and began to jog down the trail again.

The distant hiss gave away the advent of rain. MK groaned, picking up the pace. _Damn this temperamental weather._ The hiss quickly became a drumroll, fat droplets hammering down as the wall of water overtook her. Her shoes sank deeper into the mulch with every step, forcing her to slow to a walk. Wind tore down the hillside soon after the rain arrived, making it nearly impossible to move in a straight line, and the visibility grew worse as the storm clouds blotted out all evidence of sun. MK huddled under the meager shelter of a tree, hoodie soaked clean through.

Twenty minutes later, it was still pouring. _I should probably just try to get back down the hill,_ she thought. The longer she stayed out, the colder it got, and she wasn't ready to trust the Oak Bridge Hospital with her life if she got hypothermia.

Her legs responded sluggishly, already half numb. MK stumbled when her foot latched onto a root that her frozen nerves didn't register. She shook her head, exhaling sharply, and wrapped her arms tighter around herself.

Another root grabbed her. Another stumble and another attempt to right herself left her feet swiping at empty air as the trail dropped off down a slope. Her teeth slammed together from the force of her foot striking the ground far lower than her stride anticipated, and her legs buckled. The weight of the backpack pulled her into full-body tumble down the hill, and she only barely remembered to tuck her head to her chest. The thick mud caught her mid fall, sending her face first into the ground at the bottom and knocking her out cold.

The first thing she noticed upon waking was the pounding in her ears. The second thing was the cool, damp darkness that surrounded her face, and her mind staggered to the realization that she was still lying face first in the mulch. She remained there, letting the throbbing in her head die down before carefully pushing herself up. MK sat with her head between her knees, muddling through her thoughts. A small voice in her mind muttered something about concussions, and she fixated on it.

MK opened her eyes to look at her surroundings, then immediately shut them. Why the hell was everything so big? She tried again, staring at the new world around her. Thoughts were coming in more clearly, but nothing could reconcile with what she was seeing. She rose unsteadily. The plant next to her stood as tall as a tree, its massive leaves spread over her like broad awnings.

"Seriously, what the f—"

Something crashed through the trees—shrubbery—whatever, dragging a sharp scream from her throat. MK ducked down as the herd of large figures charged through the brush, shouting in guttural tones. Her breath caught in her throat as arrows whizzed through the air, and she cried out again when one of them found its mark in the strange figures.

It was then that she got a good look at them.

"Holy shit."

The amphibious creature limped for a moment, grabbing at the arrow sticking out of its hamstring before tearing it out with a roar and resuming its flight. It turned toward her and fixed its gaze on her, cowering amidst a tangle of plant matter.

MK's eyes widened as she noticed the club in its hand. The creature glanced up again, and MK could hear shouting voices drawing near. The strange thing growled at her before limping away after the rest of its pack. She remained where she sat, shuddering with adrenaline. The voices were close now, and she held still, hoping they wouldn't notice her.

A group of green-clad people hurtled into view, much more gracefully than the previous creatures. Most of them rushed past in pursuit, swords and bows at the ready. But one of them stopped short, reeling back and turning around, and MK felt her heart race with relief at the sight of a human face.

"Whoa, are you okay?" he asked, hurrying over to her.

"Oh my God, no. I need medical attention. What the hell just happened? What were those things?"

He frowned at her, like she'd just said something really weird. "Um, Boggans? Also, what is medical?"

MK blinked rapidly. "Wh—what?" They were speaking the same language, right?

"You don't look so good," he said.

"No, shit. I think I have a concussion. I need to go to the hospital."

"I have no idea what you're saying, but I think I should probably get you back to Moonhaven. What are you even doing this far out of the Brightwood anyway?"

He laughed shortly at the expression on MK's face. "Never mind, I think we're both confused right now. Let's just get you out of here."

At that, she nodded. "Yeah, that I agree with."

He helped her to her feet and guided her along the forest floor.

"Why does everything look so big?" she asked.

Her rescuer gave her another strange look. "It's about the regular size to me."

MK decided not to push it. They rounded a bend, and for the third time since waking, she screamed.

"Holy shit, that hummingbird is huge!"

* * *

I'll release Chapter 2 next week.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Stomper

As promised, Chapter 2! I already noticed a small inconsistency with terminology. It's hard to keep track of which words are strictly "Stomper" vocab and which are common language. I'm probably thinking way too hard about this. After this point, "medical" and "medicine" are commonly understood between both because finding effective synonyms was getting difficult haha.

* * *

Chapter 2. Stomper

It had taken Nod approximately twenty minutes to convince the strange, extremely confused girl that, no, Maia really was a very normally sized hummingbird, and please, stop screaming like that or it might attract more Boggans to them. He wasn't entirely sure how much longer she would have continued freaking out about how "big everything was" if she hadn't gotten dizzy and collapsed in a heap at his feet, muttering weird words like "concussion" and "hospital."

"I'm going to take us to safety, but you have to promise you won't go crazy on me like that," Nod told her, helping her to her feet.

The girl held her head like it was too heavy for her neck to carry. "Okay," she muttered.

"Is it safe?" she asked when he hoisted her onto Maia's back. The hummingbird trilled indignantly, but Nod raised a hand to quiet her.

"Maia's the best flier around." Nod swung himself up onto the saddle and wrapped an arm around the girl's waist. She grumbled in protest. "Calm down. I won't let you fall." There was a brief pause, and finally, the girl leaned into him, and he secured her in place. Nod nudged Maia's sides with his heel. "Back to Moonhaven." In a flurry of wing beats, Maia surged into the air, sending dust scattering around them.

"How on earth am I going to explain this to Ronin?"

The girl was fast asleep and a dead weight in his aching arms by the time they arrived in Moonhaven. Nod steered Maia away from the Leafmen landing pad and guided her over to where the healers dwelt. Maybe if he just dropped her off there, he could wash his hands of the problem entirely.

"Nod, don't tell me you went and got yourself injured again," the head healer said the instant he touched down on their vine-covered balcony.

Nod only flashed her a grin. "You wish, Asteria. I know you like my company." He pulled the girl into his arms and carried her into the sanctuary. Asteria's eye-roll quickly vanished at the sight of a legitimate patient, and she hurried over, beckoning the other Jinn to help her.

"Where did you find her?" With the help of the subordinate healers, Asteria placed the girl on a bed of soft leaves and feather down. She held her hands over the prone girl, sensing her patient's energy.

"Out in the borderlands. Seems like she got caught up in patrol skirmish with the Boggans."

The girl stirred, and everyone turned their attention to her. Nod frowned at her garb, struck by the urge to touch the unfamiliar fabric. Not only was her coat trimmed with alarming shades of yellow and pink, it appeared to have a faint sheen.

"Hello, dear. Can you hear me?" Asteria asked gently.

The girl blinked hard several times before attempting to sit up. She immediately clamped a hand on her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut with a groan. "Where am I?"

Asteria prompted her to lie back down. "You're in Moonhaven now. You're safe."

The girl kept an arm strewn across her eyes. "Moonhaven? Where the heck is that?"

The Jinn all exchanged surprised glances.

"The heart of Brightwood, home of the Queen of the Forest," Asteria told her, confusion sprawled across her face.

The girl withdrew her blindfolding arm to squint at them. "Somehow I'm understanding all the individual words you're saying, and yet I feel like we're not speaking the same language."

Asteria shook her head. "Never mind that. How are you feeling?"

"I have a headache, but that's expected." The girl held her hands out in front of her, flexing her fingers. "I'm pretty sure it's a concussion," she added. The other healers looked at each other in confusion.

"Vision seems all right. Maybe it's not too bad," she continued to mutter.

"What is your name?" Asteria asked.

"MK Malone-Bomba," the girl replied, eyes narrowed in concentration. "Can you go through the tests? I'm not sure how badly my judgment is impaired right now."

If Nod left now, he had a good chance of beating his patrol group to the barracks and avoiding any unwanted explaining to Ronin. But his curiosity nagged him and kept him fixed in his place, watching the strange new girl in fascination.

Asteria blinked at her in confusion. "I am not sure what you're saying."

"What? This should be basic diagnosis. Are any of you certified?" The girl called MK sat up slowly, despite the protests around her, and examined her surroundings. Her eyes widened with some realization, and she hurtled out of the bed.

"You shouldn't overexert yourself," said Asteria, running after her.

Nod followed the crowd after her out onto the balcony where MK was frantically searching the area. A clarity had found her since their initial meeting when she had been dazed by shock, and Nod could see her looking—really looking—at the world around her.

"What's the matter?" he asked her.

MK slowly turned to him, tense as bowstring. "Everything isn't big, is it?" It was more of a statement than a question. "I'm small. Either I'm completely hallucinating, or I'm small." She turned toward Maia. "A hummingbird sized saddle," she murmured. Nod briefly wondered if she had gone crazy.

"MK, you should probably get some rest," Asteria said, guiding her back indoors.

"Dad was right." MK tensed again, stopping in her tracks and pacing back out. "Dad was right!" She looked at Maia and then whirled on Nod.

"Can you take me somewhere?" she demanded.

Nod lurched back from the force of her question. "Um, I can, but I don't think I should. Not sure you're feeling tip-top."

"No, I'm fine enough. This is really important. I have to tell my dad about this." MK was nearly shouting.

"I'm sure he can wait a little while," Asteria said.

"You don't understand. This is the breakthrough my dad has been desperately looking for his entire life. I'm literally the breakthrough! I need to find those cameras." She started peering over the edge of the balcony, as though looking for a way to climb down herself.

Nod rushed over and pulled her back. "Whoa, whoa, calm down. Okay, I'll take you to wherever you need, all right? Just stop…freaking out. You promised, remember? No more panicking. Everything is all right."

MK brushed her tousled hair from her face, exhaled sharply, and turned a fierce gaze on him. "Fine, I can be calm," she said with a startlingly even tone. The drastic transition of temperament threw him.

"Okay. Good," he said, eyes wide.

"Nod, I really advise against this," said Asteria.

"I said I'm fine enough. I'm going regardless of your willingness to assist me," MK said, still wearing the face of a commander, rather than that of the panicked newcomer from a few minutes ago. "So are you going to help me or what?"

"Yeah, we're good." Nod turned to Asteria. "We'll be fine. I promise. I'll bring her right back, as soon as we're done. No staying out late to party." He winked, and after a lengthy pause, Asteria rolled her eyes and waved them away.

"I'm riding up front this time. It's really hard to steer when I'm trying to reach around you," he said. "So you'll have to hang on."

MK groaned. "Fine."

Nod waited until MK secured herself in the saddle behind him and urged Maia into the air. The hummingbird fluttered in annoyance at having to embark again so quickly.

"So, you planning on explaining what just happened?" Nod looked at MK over his shoulder.

She lurched away from the sudden closeness of his face. "It's a long story. Right now I need to find my dad's cameras. Do you know what those are? He usually keeps them in nooks of trees." She attempted to mime a camera shape. "Round lens thing made of glass."

"Uh…"

"They would be big compared to us? Wait a second," MK rummaged in the bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey! Can you not move around so much while we're zooming through the air?" Nod's arm shot out to hold her steady, and Maia paused in midair to let her squirming mounts get their act together.

MK pulled something out of her bag and began to draw on her palm. She held it out to him. "Cameras," she said. Nod took hold of her hand and pulled it forward to examine, ignoring her grunt of protest.

"Oh! I do know what you're talking about." Pieces fell into place. "Wait a minute. You said those are your dad's. That means…"

"Getting the picture?" MK yanked her hand back.

Nod held up a hand in apology. "I completely understand why you were freaking out earlier." He frowned. "Unless some Stompers actually are regular sized?"

"Stompers?"

He shrugged. "Like your dad. You know, always stomping around through the forest, making a lot of noise. Are there really some of you who aren't big?"

"I'm not supposed to be this size either! I was normal at the beginning of the day, but I got caught in a freak storm and suddenly I'm small. Honestly, I'm still not convinced this isn't all a crazy dream," MK said.

"Freak storm, huh?" Nod repeated.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nah, never mind." He fell silent, musing over something. After a lengthy pause, he gave a light snort.

"So your dad's the guy who's been looking for us. We've been leading him all over the creation for years now. There's no way he could get past the threshold anyway, but it's fun to mess with him." Nod chuckled, imagining the redheaded giant crashing around the undergrowth.

Nod turned around to see her reaction and instantly regretted it. The glare MK gave him melted the grin clean off his face.

"You mean you've all been taunting him? He's been laughed at for years by his peers for insisting you people exist. It broke my parents' marriage, broke up the family! I spent years being angry at him for choosing a fairy tale over me and Mom, and I come to find out he was right this entire time. You think that's funny?

"My dad's conviction ruined all of the most important relationships in his life. He's been living years by himself because everyone thought he was crazy." He could hear her breathing hard behind him. "Everyone rejected him. _I_ rejected him, when I should have stood by him. He should have been vindicated."

Nod sobered immediately. "I'm sorry. Really. We never thought about that possibility. It wasn't for fun and games though. We needed to protect our own people and their sanctuary. Stompers can be dangerous to us. I'm really sorry for what it did to you."

MK said nothing, fixing the air with a chilly silence.

"Just take me to the cameras," she said after an eternity.

* * *

The forest stretched hundreds of times farther since MK had shrunken. _Shrunken_. She squeezed her eyes shut and massaged her head. Maybe when she opened her eyes, she would be back in her room in the rickety old house, with her dad just down the stairs typing furiously at his desk. The wind whistled in her ears and whipped her loose hair into her face insistently. The humming of Maia's wings, the vibration of the bird's motion beneath her, the sturdy arm of the soldier in green wrapped around her waist all served to solidify her new reality. MK kept her eyes shut. At least it let her pretend she could avoid the truth for a little while longer.

"That's the thing you're looking for right?" Nod's voice jarred her back to life.

She turned around and followed the direction of his pointing to a nook in a tree where sure enough, one of her dad's cameras did indeed sit. MK swallowed. "Yeah."

"What do you want to do now?"

It occurred to her that Nod probably wouldn't know what a camera did. "Take me closer. If we fly in front of it long enough, we can trip the alert, and he'll know where to find me. Then I'll go home with him and hopefully we can figure out how to get me back to normal."

Nod let out a stifled noise of protest before nudging Maia forward. The camera lens dwarfed them, and the sight of it reminded MK of those big fisheye windows at the aquarium her mom used to take her to. Her warped reflection swam around in its depths.

_This is really happening isn't it?_ She had still been hoping that she might wake up, but seeing the camera made the reality sink down on her even harder.

"Dad?" she tried, but her voice cracked halfway. "Dad, are you there?"

There was silence for a while, and Maia looked back at them impatiently. She twitched in the air until Nod hushed her, but MK could hear the tension and confusion in his voice.

"What is it?" MK asked.

"Mm…" He shuffled in his place in front of her.

"I can tell you want to say something."

"You're not gonna like it," he said finally.

"But is it important to my problem or not?"

She heard him sigh heavily. "I don't think your dad can help you change back."

MK startled, jarring the saddle and making Maia waver midair. "What do you mean?" She felt the panic creeping back into her voice, but she swallowed it back down with practiced calm.

"When you mentioned the storm, it made me think of something. There's a magic in the forest, as the Queen says, that protects us from danger like the Stompers for example. How do you think we've been isolated for so long?" Nod said.

"What does the storm have to do with anything?" It had been weird, now that she thought about it like that. MK thought back to the pristine morning weather report and Oak Bridge's history with the sudden squalls.

"Freak storms mean that the forest magic is acting up. It sort of summons them somehow. I don't honestly know that much about it. The forest kind of has a mind of its own, in a way. We live in harmony with it, not control it. Whatever happened to you, I think it has to do with that magic. That's not something that can be reversed by any old person," Nod said. All the smiles had gone from his voice, and he spoke like one diffusing a bomb.

"So you're trying to tell me I'm stuck for good, that some fairy forest magic turned me into a tiny person for the fun of it?"

"I'm saying I'm not the person to ask, and neither is your dad. We have to take you to see Queen Tara. If anyone knows what to do, it'll be her."

"Well, how long is that going to take?" MK demanded. Her mind flew to the lunch she had promised her dad that she never got home to make. She didn't even know what time it was anymore, or how long he had been waiting.

"I don't know. I'm sorry. This isn't really my thing." Nod sounded almost as helpless and confused as she was, so MK tried to keep herself from venting unnecessary frustration onto him.

He added, "I really wish this was something we could just fix, but like I said, the forest has a mind of its own. The Queen is the one who comes closest to speaking its language. At the very least, let's go talk to her, and if there's nothing we can do, I'll try to take you home."

MK was about to speak, when the camera lens whirled to life, spinning and focusing on the hovering bird.

"Dad!" MK shouted, trying her best to stand up in the saddle. "Dad, it's MK! If you can hear me, I just want you to know I'm all right. And second of all, that you were right. They're real, Dad. You were right." The camera stared back at her, and she prayed he could hear, that he was staying calm.

"Something weird happened out in the forest, and that's why I'm like this. But I'm going to figure out how to fix it. Might be a while, so make sure you eat three meals a day, and not just canned food." She attempted to smile, but her face quavered.

"Remember the rules." She tapped her head in mimicry of his gesture the other day. "I love you. I'll come back soon. I promise." At that her voice broke, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She buried her face into Nod's back, abandoning her former restraint.

"We should go," she whispered, and Nod obligingly turned the bird around, and they zoomed off back to Moonhaven.

* * *

A quiet evening had fallen over the forest by the time they made it back to Moonhaven. Nod could see the courtyard path leading to the Queen's sanctuary. Ronin would be lurking nearby, as he always did, but with MK's predicament becoming increasingly more astounding, he no longer had the option to sneak out of reach of the Leafman general's anger.

The line of guards that stood out front of the inner sanctum twitched in surprise at Nod's brazen landing, right smack in the middle of them. He shooed Maia to go find her perch in the aviaries and led MK toward the entryway.

They almost reached the door without any commotion from his comrades, and Nod began to entertain hopes of talking his way past the last few guards between them and Queen Tara, when Ronin stepped out of the threshold.

As far as glares went, Nod still had to give MK the golden feather for that, but the fury that Ronin fixed on him just then definitely gave her a run for the prize.

"Where were you?" Ronin paced forward, and Nod danced away.

"Oh boy, now that's a long story that you really should hear before yelling at me," Nod said with a nervous smile.

"What excuse could you possibly have this time? What is the one thing I demand from every one of my soldiers after a fight? The one thing, Nod!" Ronin pressed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"I had people looking for you all afternoon. Can you even imagine what I would have had to tell your mother…"

Nod cringed. Ronin pulled the Mother Card on him all the time, and it drove him crazy. "Ronin, I'm sorry. And look, I'm fine now; you can stop freaking out. It's not exactly fair that you hover over me more than anyone else. Besides, I had a legitimately good reason this time." He stepped aside to reveal a sheepish MK, hiding from the argument behind him.

"It's because you're the most reckless, disobedient—" Ronin froze mid-sentence at the sight of Nod's redheaded charge. "Who is she?"

"My legitimately good reason," Nod muttered, guiding MK into the threshold. "Can we please see Queen Tara? This is really important." At Ronin's skeptical gaze, he added, "It has to do with the Draíochta."

Ronin's glare faded into a frown, and finally, he pivoted and gestured for them to follow. Nod's shoulders sagged in relief.

"Who's the intense guy?" MK whispered.

"That's Ronin, the general of the Leafmen," Nod whispered back.

"Sounds like you're an even bigger troublemaker than I was led to believe," she said, and he shot her a look of mock-hurt.

"You don't know the half of it," Ronin said without turning around.

MK slapped a hand on her mouth in embarrassment that she'd been heard, and Nod made a face behind Ronin's back.

Nod took advantage of the ensuing silence to admire the Queen's chambers. He had only been inside twice before, and each time, different vines and flowers spiraled around the hollowed tree trunk that made up the sanctum. From the high ceiling, pinholes of starlight filtered down, showering them with pale blue that crisscrossed the golden glow of the vines saturated with the energy of the Draíochta. In the center of the hall, the foliage thickened to the point where Ronin had to brush aside the leaves in order to proceed.

"Forgot something?" called out Queen Tara, laughter thick in her voice. She sat amid a bed of flowers in the very center of the room. Above them, the vines were so dense, the moonlight no longer reached them. At the sight of the crowd and the pensive expressions they wore, her smile dropped.

"What's happened?" she asked, sitting up.

Ronin turned to Nod. "Yes, I'd really like to get my explanation now."

For a brief moment, Nod considered deferring the story to MK, but with Ronin's temper balancing on a thread, he decided to skip the mischief for once.

So he began. "This is MK. And she's a Stomper."

* * *

Next Friday is Chapter 3. Currently in the works: Chapter 7.


	3. The Draíochta

So I apologize for not meeting my Friday update deadline as I promised. FFnet was giving me some weird server error all day and it was very annoying because I was looking forward to seeing your responses to the next chapter. I've already gotten some very nice reviews, so thank you for that! It's very uplifting. It's always much more fun when I'm not the only one getting enjoyment out of it!

Here you get to learn a little bit more about the war and the characters' backgrounds. There are a lot of allusions to Irish mythology in this fic (including the title of the story!). The forest magic is called the Draíochta, which is literally just "magic" in Irish-Gaelic. So they call it The Magic. Fancy.

* * *

Chapter 3. The Draíochta

"You have to admit, that's a legitimate reason," Nod was saying to the intense Leafman general.

MK swayed where she stood. Nod had given a decent attempt to explain her situation, but there were too many blanks to fill in, so she ended up stepping in anyway. Telling the story all over again came as yet another reality check, slapping her in the face with even more confirmation that all the crazy events of the day really, actually happened.

"You still could have come and found me or had someone let me know."

"If you had just talked to Asteria, it would have saved you a lot of worrying!"

MK squeezed her eyes shut. Her limbs felt numb and a faint tremor ran through her body. The sound of Nod's and Ronin's voices rattled on her skull, and the dormant headache sprang back with a throb of pain.

"Boys, will you two quit your bickering? You're distressing MK," the Queen said, stepping forward. She touched MK on the forehead gently, and a soothing coolness washed over her like waves on the beach. The vines around them hummed softly, their glow intensifying slightly, until the Queen retracted her hand, and MK's headache faded with the spell.

"How did you do that?" she asked, placing a hand to her head. The world seemed to have been cleared of a fog.

"The Draíochta," Queen Tara replied. "The magic that runs through this land and this wood."

"We have healers who have great knowledge of herbal remedies and simple spells, but only the Queen can harness the power of the Draíochta to heal," Ronin said. He seemed to carry an air of pride as he explained. "No wound is too much for such a magic."

The Queen gave him a look of affectionate exasperation. "I don't harness it, Ronin, you know that. I only borrow what the forest has to give." She turned back to MK. "Speaking of which, I felt a fluctuation earlier today—a powerful one. Could that have been you?" She sauntered around the hall, making the vines curl and bend as she pondered.

"It might explain the storm," Ronin said. "There was quite a gale before the Boggans struck."

"You're probably right." The Queen paused in the center of a crowd of willowy buds.

"Can you change me back?" MK asked. If the Queen could use the Draíochta, perhaps she could reverse its effects.

Queen Tara faced her with a sympathetic gaze. "I'm afraid not, dear child. The Draíochta acted of its own accord in doing this to you. Though I am the one with the deepest connection to it, that doesn't mean I always understand its reasoning. It has a mind of its own." She touched MK's shoulder and smiled. "However, I have faith that it brought you here for a reason. You have a purpose here, MK. I have a feeling you'll do something important."

"Yes, but good important or bad important? I'm still of the mind that her being here is exactly what it looks like: a freak accident," Ronin said, arms folded. "I think our best option is to try and find out how to get her back to the way she was, and I think she agrees with me."

MK nodded. "How long do you think that will take? I don't want to be away from my dad for too long."

Ronin turned to the Queen expectantly. When at last she answered, she spoke carefully and softly. "I'm not entirely certain that it's possible to get you back the way you are. If I'm right that the Draíochta has done this to you, the only way to change you is by the will of the Draíochta itself."

MK gaped at the Queen. She swept her gaze over their uncomfortable faces. Nod fidgeted as though he wanted to leap out of the way of an impending explosion.

"What the hell? Is this a normal thing? Some freaky forest magic shrinks random people for giggles?" MK tried to keep her voice level, but it was hard not to fly off the handle when the apparent reason for all the insanity she'd endured was because some zany, sentient magic wanted to screw around with her in particular.

The Queen grimaced. "I would rather say that it chose you for something. It was not to mock you."

"But what I'm saying is _I_ didn't choose this." MK rested her face in her hands. It wasn't fair. She was only trying to move forward from life without Mom. "Nothing but setbacks," she whispered.

A gentle hand rested on her arm and she looked up to see Queen Tara standing before her.

"I know you're scared and upset," said the Queen, "but please stay strong. We'll do everything we can to help you get home."

MK forced the tension out of herself, relaxing her posture. "Thank you," she said, putting on a small smile. A ripple of unease passed, hidden beneath her expression of calm. It was hard to trust that the Queen would be willing to defy the will of their Draíochta, considering the faith she had in it. Their assistance might prove to be more of a hindrance than a help.

"I think I had better go and find a place to stay while I'm here, before it gets too late," MK told them.

The Queen's eyes widened. "Of course, we will set up a place for you. You didn't think we would let you wander alone in the night without shelter, did you?" She motioned for her assistants. "They will take you to your quarters and show you around Moonhaven."

MK nodded her gratitude.

"Wait, your majesty," Ronin said, stepping toward them. "We can't have her wandering around unsupervised. She might get lost or enter forbidden areas."

"Makes it sound like I'm an infant," MK muttered. Ronin heard and gave her an exasperated look.

"In a way you are. If what you and Nod said is true, then you have no idea of your way around the forest," said Ronin.

"Have Nod do it," the Queen suggested. MK saw the young Leafman jolt to a start out of the corner of her eye.

Ronin raised an eyebrow. "He can barely keep an eye on himself."

"But he's the most well acquainted with MK. And besides, from what you were ranting about to me earlier, I don't think you'll be wanting him on the front lines any time soon," Queen Tara said with a grin.

Nod sagged visibly. "Wait, are you serious?" He shot Ronin a look. "I'm being punished for having a legitimate reason for scaring you?"

"I am very serious! Not a word, Nod! Not one word to me! You can't mean to say there was no one who could have passed on a message."

The two resumed their bickering, leaving MK to stare at them in confusion. Queen Tara leaned in conspiratorially.

"Ronin has attempted to act as Nod's surrogate father, ever since Nod's real father died in battle," she told MK.

"Oh, is that why Nod can back-sass him like that?"

The Queen let out a musical chuckle. "It's hard when you've got a teenage son who's also your ranking subordinate. It makes them want to defy your authority twice over."

MK turned the knowledge of Nod's late father over in her mind. A twinge of guilt pinched at her. She had acted like she was the only one between them who understood loss. She glanced up when Nod approached.

"Looks like you're stuck with me," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Don't worry, I'll be a cool babysitter. No curfew or rules or anything." He flinched when Ronin smacked him lightly behind the head. "Ow! Okay, there are some rules!"

A thistle-topped lady in waiting beckoned for MK to follow her. MK turned back toward Nod. "What rules?"

Nod was already following Ronin out through the main entrance. "I'll tell you in the morning. See you then!" He gave a gallant wave, and MK rolled her eyes before jogging after the thistle lady.

MK soon came to realize the Queen's inner sanctum was only a small portion of the citadel that made up the entirety of Moonhaven. _Okay, so a babysitter is slightly necessary,_ she thought, marveling at the scale of everything. It made her wonder how big the place would have looked if she'd been normal sized. They crossed over multiple bridges, fashioned by entwined reeds and vines, everything glowing in shades of pleasant lilac and blue.

MK ran a hand over the glistening railings and felt a tingle course up through her fingers. It brought back the sensation of background song she had felt atop the hill—though stronger this time—and she realized she must have been feeling the life-magic that coursed through the veins of the forest. Fireflies hovered in the air all around the multiple spires that sheltered the people of Moonhaven. Peace washed over her briefly. It wasn't her home, but it was beautiful.

The thistle lady set MK in a strange, woven bower, lined with feather down and lavender petals. MK thanked the lady and nestled into the pile. A dense leafy curtain folded across the entrance, allowing only a sliver of light through. It was strange not having a blanket, but MK couldn't deny that it was very comfortable, and the scent of lavender quickly lulled her into a deep sleep.

* * *

"There's one important thing you've got to remember." Nod glanced at her. "Hey! Wake up!"

MK yawned in response. "Yeah, something important, got it."

He shook his head. "I'm being serious for once. We're kinda in the middle of a war. This is for your safety."

She squinted at him as the too-bright sun glared down on her. "A war? Seriously? With who?"

"You remember those guys I was chasing the first day we met?" Nod asked. "They're the Boggans, and they're not our friends."

"Why are you at war with them?"

Nod shrugged, twirling his sword around and sending the reflected sunlight scattering. "They attacked us. According to Ronin, they were fairly easy to manage, until they united under their current leader Mandrake. That guy led a sudden, mass invasion, pushing us far back into our own territory. No one really knows why he did it, but we weren't about to take that lying down."

"It's always the other guy's fault," MK muttered. "Have you ever tried finding out?"

Nod snorted. "No way. Mandrake hates us on principle. There's no way he'd give us any time to talk things over."

MK pursed her lips at him, but let it go. No sense trying to get involved in someone else's politics if she was planning to get out of there as soon as possible anyway. "Okay, just tell me what I need to watch out for," she said.

"The borderlands, for one," Nod said, finally fixing his sword to his belt. "And the Wrathwood in general."

"Okay, that's great and all, but I'm not from around here. What are those?" MK asked, hands on her hips.

Nod shot her a grin. "Wrathwood looks like the exact opposite of here. Trust me, you'll know when you see it." He whistled for Maia.

MK glared at his back. "That sure is specific. I thought the point was that I shouldn't be near enough to see it."

The hummingbird descended, casting a stark shadow against the brilliance of the sun. Nod patted the bird, who trilled at him in greeting. "You get the point. It's a wasteland. The borderlands is kind of the grey area. That's the territory that keeps getting taken and reclaimed over and over. It looks as run down as it is."

MK rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'll just tag along with you if you're going to be a lousy guide."

Nod gave her a loose shrug. "Hey, we're stuck with each other anyway, since Ronin is being all paranoid about letting me get back out in the field." He adjusted Maia's saddle. "Not like I care either way," he muttered.

"What do you mean?" MK asked, making her way to his side.

"I don't know. This whole war. It doesn't feel like my fight." He looked at her conspiratorially. "Don't tell Ronin I said that. I would get an earful. Responsibility and all that. It's just not my thing."

"Your thing is not being responsible?" MK pursed her lips. "Sounds to me like you just don't want to work hard."

Nod laughed and swung his way up onto Maia's back. "Hard work is way overrated if you ask me. I mean all this fuss that Ronin works up? Really not worth it in my book. I'd rather be racing in the Neutral than risking my life in a war between all the old people."

MK clambered up behind him. "Maybe not everything is about what you want."

"Tch, you sound just like Ronin," Nod said.

"Maybe Ronin has a point," retorted MK. She barely had time to grab onto Nod's waist before Maia shot into the air. "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you on a whirlwind tour. If you're going to be here a while, you might as well get to know your way around."

MK gave a last minute scan of the landing field before Maia lifted off. _I really hope I'm not here for a while._

* * *

She had to admit yet again, the Brightwood was a beautiful place. The sunlight there reflected at odd angles and scattered in brilliant, prismatic color, filtering soft and gold through the broad green leaves of the trees. In the area surrounding Moonhaven, all living things seemed to have a strange inner glow to it, saturating the color of every plant and flower.

Nod showed her the clover gardens and even let her sample some clover honey wine that the garden's caretaker handed out. The sticky sweet nectar warmed her, and MK wondered if the Draíochta lingered in the drink too.

"We're called the Jinn," Nod explained. "Children of the sun, shepherds of growth, the works."

They were sitting on a branch high up in the canopies, gazing out at the treetops that extended for miles. Nod pointed to a dark patch off in the distance.

"There, that's the borderlands and the Wrathwood," he said.

The wall of green stopped almost on a hard line, breaking away into dead branches and drab brown.

"Whoa, I see what you mean. It really is drastic," MK admitted.

He shot her a smirk. "I told you, you would know it when you saw it."

"Queen Tara told me your father died there," MK said, after an extended silence. Nod's smile fell away, and he stared distantly at the trees below.

"Yeah. It was one of the first battles in the war." He fiddled with the tassel on the hilt of his blade. "Ronin saw the whole thing. It was Mandrake who did it. That's partly why Ronin gets so uptight about the war and me being in it. He won't forgive them for what they did to my dad."

"I'm sorry," MK said softly.

Nod gave a wry smile. "Honestly, I think Ronin was more traumatized by it. He and Ronin grew up best friends. The story is that he died saving Ronin's life."

"Still, it must have been hard. My parents separated when I was young because my dad was getting too obsessed with his work. Even though you barely know them, you still feel their absence." A bitterness washed over her. In a way, she knew what it felt like to lose both of them. When she moved back to Oak Bridge, it felt like a second chance, like she was getting her dad back, only to be dragged away in some strange forest adventure.

"I guess so. I still have my mom, at least. Ronin was never very good at trying to be my dad," Nod said with a chuckle.

MK watched him carefully. He said everything with a mocking tone, but always with that distant look in his eyes, lost in memory and doubt.

"What about your mom?" he asked suddenly. "I only hear you talking about your dad really."

MK paused to think over her answer. Did she really want to go there? Even a year later, it still felt like a fresh wound.

"Did something happen? You said you were angry with your dad for a long time, but now you're back with him." When she didn't answer, he pressed, "Look, I don't know anything about Stomper parenting. Is this a normal thing to go back and forth between parents? Or did she want you to make up with him?"

"She died, all right?" MK snapped.

He jerked back. "Whoa, sorry. Didn't mean to pry."

She only rolled her eyes at his silence. MK turned her memories over in her head. With Nod, there was no previous baggage between them. Once she left, they wouldn't see each other again either, and she wouldn't have to worry about him getting tired of her sadness. If anything, he might understand.

"She was really sick," MK said finally. Nod perked up at the sound of her voice.

"Back where I come from, I was…a healer I suppose. So I understood her pain more than most people would. She fought really hard for a long time, but eventually the sickness spread too much and she died." MK swallowed hard, feeling her eyes burning. Her grief usually hung like a dull noise in the background, but when she had to look at it in the face again, it rose up in a scream, the same as it had when everything was still raw and bleeding.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Afterward, my work became really difficult for me. It was harder and harder to watch people suffer from similar illness. And every time someone died, all I could see was my mom again. And when I watched their families cry, all I could see was myself." A hot tear slid down her face, and MK rubbed it away. "It got too hard. So I left."

Nod said nothing—only tipped his head in understanding, and MK let go of a breath of relief. Back in New York, the overcrowding sympathy drove her away the most. Everyone surrounding her, willing her to get better, offering everything, when maybe what she needed was to not be okay for a while.

The walking on eggshells, the silences that fell when she was near, the way they talked so gently—_too_ gently—around her, only served as an acute reminder that she'd lost something precious.

_What's wrong?_ they asked. _How can we help? What will make you better?_

_Bringing my mom back,_ she always replied silently, bitterly, and sent them away.

Nod stood, bringing MK out of her reverie. "We've been hanging out here for a while. We better get back before Ronin freaks out again and tries to ground me even more."

MK smirked. "In his defense, you don't exactly help your case."

Nod grimaced. "Hey! You knew me for like, a day. Don't judge!"

"Right, as if I couldn't infer from context."

He leaped onto Maia and took off the branch, hovering in front of her. "Are you sure you want to antagonize your ride home?"

"Fine, ride away into the sunset. I can walk." She planted her hands on her hips and stared him down.

"You're bluffing," he said, but he fidgeted.

MK shrugged and started walking down the branch, making her way toward the thick tree trunk. Nod spurred Maia forward and headed her off.

"All right, all right, you got me. Get on," he said, shaking his head in amusement.

Despite his concern for Ronin's wrath, he still made a stop at another flower garden to treat her to nectar cakes, which MK had to admit were just the right amount of sweet to be delicious.

* * *

Chapter 4: Wrathwood will come out 4/25 and exciting things will happen!

Excerpt:

_By the time she reached the end of the branch, she decided it would be worth the time and effort to brave the crowd and find Nod, or else get drunk enough to fall asleep in some chair in the warmth of the main hall. MK stepped forward to head back to Nim's hollow. She made it halfway back down the branch when a sudden wind surged through the treetops and swept her clear off the branch. MK tumbled, screaming into the night._


	4. Wrathwood

Lol so it's technically still Friday in my time zone so I'm not late yet. I had a paper to write that was due at midnight tonight and I finished it five minutes ago. Kids, procrastination is a bad habit, don't listen to me.

Anyway, this is totally not proofread so haha there's probably a bunch of mistakes. Also it's apparently really long? You finally get to meet the Boggans! I was very excited when I first got to writing this chapter. The Boggans were always so interesting to me, and I felt bad that they seemed to just be pigeonholed into the role of Evil minions. I tried to give their whole society a complex backstory and really flesh out the canon characters as well. I added an OC Boggan as well, because, honestly, in a story that's just as much about Boggans as it is Jinn, it should probably have more than two.

Glad to hear you all seem to be enjoying yourselves so far!

Cheers.

* * *

Chapter 4. Wrathwood

"What about glue?"

"No, no. _Nim Galuu_. I'm taking you to the Rings of Knowledge," Nod corrected. He shot her a grin. "Don't tell Ronin. The place is technically Neutral, and I don't think he wants either of us anywhere that isn't the middle of Brightwood. In fact, I'm pretty sure he wants you to stay right smack in Moonhaven until whenever the Draíochta decides to send you back."

"Well thank goodness the Queen gets to make the decisions and not Ronin," MK said.

"There, see! We agree on some things."

"I thought you said it was really dangerous," MK said.

Nod quirked an eyebrow. "No? I said the borderlands and Wrathwood were. The Neutral Territory is different. It's supposed to be a safe haven, where both sides of the war agree to leave alone."

MK rolled her eyes. "Wow, how considerate of them."

That earned her a laugh. "I know right? It's the one thing they seem to be okay with. The real problem is with Mandrake. If Ronin and he just had a little heart-to-heart, everything would be great. And by that I mean Ronin puts his sword through that dirt-eater's heart."

The imagery made MK flinch, but she said nothing. She had to remind herself not to get too involved in a world that wasn't hers. Still, it bothered her that Nod could joke so flippantly about violent death, even if it was about his father's murderer.

"So what are the Rings of Knowledge?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, right! It's kind of our historical archive, which is why it's in the Neutral. Everyone should be allowed access to the information, blah blah, you get the deal. Basically everything that happens in the forest is recorded and stored in the Rings." His smile was conspiratorial now. "It's better if I show you."

The flight was the longest MK had been conscious for on her arrival, and her legs were numb by the end of it. They approached a massive tree and even from a distance, she could see the glow from the hollow in the trunk. Silhouettes of lively motion danced against the light. When they drew closer, she could hear the sound of jubilant song floating through the air.

Nod struggled to land as the entrance was crowded with people and the music boomed in MK's chest as they touched down. Maia hurried away from the noise as soon as her riders dismounted, and MK was tempted to flee after her. Even the entryway was packed with loud, laughing people.

"I didn't realize knowledge was celebrated so much," she shouted over the din.

Nod pulled her along by the arm, fighting through the crowd. "Nah, Nim just likes parties. It's a lot quieter in the actual Rings."

"Oh, good," MK muttered.

There were a wide variety of shapes and colors of people in the Brightwood, but her at the Rings of Knowledge, MK was amazed to see amphibious creatures and bugs in addition to the flower people she was growing accustomed to. Some of them resembled the Boggans she saw on her first day. She eyed them nervously, but everyone seemed relaxed and unconcerned, so she let it go.

A burst of cheering bombarded her, and in the center of the large room, an enormous caterpillar rose up from the floor.

"How's my public?" he shouted, and a band started up a lively musical number and soon everyone was singing.

"That's it; I'm in Wonderland," MK said, dumbfounded. "All he has to do is start smoking."

Nod looked over in confusion. "What are you muttering about?"

"Nothing."

They waited about five minutes for the concert to die down. The caterpillar made some announcements that made no sense to MK and shouted about honey wine and beer, and everyone cheered some more. Nod pulled her around into a back room where they met up with the caterpillar.

"Nim! Hey!" Nod called.

MK balked. "What?"

"Nod, my man! What can I do for you?" Nim said, pivoting on his multiple legs.

"Oh, that's Nim?" MK asked in a small voice.

"Yeah, sorry, I forgot to mention, he looks a little different from the Jinn you're used to seeing. MK, this is Nim Galuu. Nim, MK," Nod said.

"H-hey," said MK.

"Nice to meetcha!" Nim shook her hand vigorously, saving her from trying to figure out which of his arms to grab. "Don't worry, I'm just your friendly neighborhood glow worm. I don't bite!"

"Pleasure," MK said through her teeth.

Nod elbowed Nim light-heartedly. "See, I told you, your big nose scares all the girls!"

Nim guffawed and slapped him on the shoulder as MK turned an imperious glare on Nod. "You'd better watch yourself, son! If looks could kill!" he shouted, making MK wonder if he even possessed an inside voice.

Nim straightened himself and adjusted his coat which was about as loud as he was. "But what brings you here with your charming guest on this fine afternoon?" he asked.

Nod whistled. "It's a long story, and not one for the party floor."

A gravity crossed Nim's features. "Oh, that's a curious statement. Why don't we head down below? Seems to me like you're wanting to have a chat."

Nim led them down a winding hall, and MK breathed a sigh of relief to have some open space between her and the other people again. They spiraled down a flight of stairs leading to a musty room with a lift carriage in the center. The pulleys and cords creaked and rocked as Nim lowered them down.

The instant they dipped down into the lower levels, profound quiet washed over them. The bark of the tree swallowed up much of background sound. If she hadn't come from above, MK would never have known there was a party still going on above them.

Even in the depths of the tree hollow, the light of the Draíochta glowed orange around them, illuminating the chamber in a permanent sunset hue. Large moths fluttered around them, dust billowing from their wings with each beat. In their furry legs, they carried small coils of parchment and placed them into tiny slots that dotted the massive floor.

"This is amazing," she whispered.

Nod smiled at her. "Told you, you had to see it."

When the lift touched down, MK ran out of the carriage and stood turning every which way in the, trying to take in as much as possible. If only her phone wasn't already sitting dead in her backpack, she would have taken a picture.

"So, about that chat…" Nim said.

MK turned back around, and saw that Nod had sobered. Inwardly, she groaned. They were going to have to explain the whole story yet again.

* * *

MK wandered across the vast hall until the sound of Nod and Nim discussing faded to a murmur. Nod already had practice telling her story to Ronin and the Queen, and MK wasn't particularly interested in reliving the experience. She meandered through the lines of scrolls, watching as the moths arranged and rearranged them, obeying some unspoken code.

Scripts that she couldn't read covered the scrolls, and she hoped that Nod or someone would be willing to translate for her. The moths seemed too intent on their work to be bothered.

"This must be quite an experience for you," Nim said, coming up from behind. His voice, loud with the sudden proximity made her start.

"Oh! Yeah, I try not to think too hard about it," MK replied.

"I've been around a while, but I've never seen your situation come up in my time. But I don't see everything the moths do. They're the record keepers of the forest, and everything the forest sees, they remember," Nim said.

"They don't seem to interested in conversation," MK remarked.

Nim chuckled. "Oh, they've never spoken to anyone. But you don't need to. Watch!" He picked up the scroll sitting by MK's feet and unraveled it. A cloud of fine dust puffed from it with each movement. Nim inhaled and blew hard into the words, and the powder billowed into the air, surrounding them.

MK coughed and covered her face, but a hand touched her shoulder, and she looked up to see Nod gazing into the dust in wonder. Faint sounds echoed in the cloud and slowly, images began to take shape and gain clarity, but she wasn't certain whether or not she was really seeing them or if they were only a vivid, unknown memory placed in her mind by outside hands.

She watched a mundane scene play out in which a flower jinn and a bee wandered about gathering pollen together. The images were from a strange perspective, like some spirit lingered in the air, filming them with invisible eyes.

"This actually happened?" she whispered.

Nim nodded, smiling at her obvious awe. "Yup. What you're seeing is a memory of the Draíochta. It tells its stories to the moths, and they record them in the dust which they bind into the writing of the scrolls." He blew on the parchment again, more gently this time, and the dust coagulated back on the sheet, clearing the air once more.

"Then, do you think I could find out if there was someone else like me? Or how to fix my problem?" MK asked, voice rising in pitch.

Nod grinned. "That's why I brought you here. Might as well try to do something while you're here. Queen Tara is busy as it is, and she doesn't have all the answers anyway. Thought you might be able to find them yourself, since you seem like the proactive sort."

MK gaped at him. "Wow, Nod. That was thoughtful."

He mimed exaggerated hurt. "Don't sound so surprised."

Nim interrupted, "If it's happened, it's recorded somewhere here. The trick is finding it though. The vision of the Draíochta is long as well as broad."

The thought of sifting through all of that history deflated her hope. Watching an ancient memory once was incredible, but that would get old fast when she was looking for something in particular.

"Is there no form of sorting?"

"Chronologically, from the bottom up and the inside out," Nim said, with a troubled expression. "But if you have no idea what era you're looking for…"

"I would kill for Google right now," MK muttered.

"Google?" Nim asked.

"I think it's one of her weird Stomper words," Nod told him.

"It's a way to search for information in our own form of the Rings of Knowledge. But it's a lot easier than this. All you have to do is say what you're looking for and Google brings up everything it can find that's related," she explained, rifling through the nearby scrolls absently.

"Wow, that's efficient!" Nim said. "I wish we could do that."

"So do I," said MK.

"Well, I do have one last thing that might help." Nim strolled over to the perimeter of the rings toward a small box. He opened it and pulled out the documents and held it out to her.

"This is sort of a summary index of major events," he said.

MK took the paper. It was still unreadable, so she tried blowing on it and whispers erupted in the air, reading off dates and events in her mind. She silenced the dust quickly.

"What constitutes 'important?'" she asked.

Nim scrunched his face. "That's totally arbitrary, to my knowledge. Whatever the Draíochta tells the moths to summarize, but it operates with a completely different mind from you or me. I don't even think the Draíochta views time the same way we do, so who knows what small things might turn out to be really important much later in the future?"

"I suppose it's a start," MK said. "Can I just stay here and search through the scrolls then?"

"I think so. You seem like an upstanding person. Well, I trust Nod's judgment anyway." Nim winked. "Just don't make a mess. It upsets the moths, and they're the ones who will get on your case! Now I have a party to return to."

The glowworm waddled off back to the lift, leaving the two of them alone in the muffled quiet.

MK glanced at Nod. "I guess I'll just look through these for a while."

"Yeah, that's fine." He shifted almost imperceptibly toward the lift.

"What is it?"

"I was thinking of going and checking out the party. I saw some people I wanted to catch up with too," Nod said. At least he had the sense to look a little guilty about the idea of abandoning her.

MK rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. You probably wouldn't end up being much help to me anyway."

"True!" Nod said as he turned and jogged toward the lift. He pulled a lever and the carriage came tottering down to their level. "Come up whenever you're ready to go back to Moonhaven!" he called, and she could barely register what he said, so thoroughly did the room swallow up the sound.

* * *

MK was certain she must have gotten somewhat high on all the magic moth dust that she coughed on over the hours. There were no windows in the lower levels of the Rings, so she had no idea how long she'd been there, but judging from the strain in her eyes and the fatigue in her bones, it must have been a while.

It had been fun and intriguing, seeing the forest from the eyes of the mysterious power that coursed through it, but none of it had been very helpful. The events index for that level whispered a lot about the war with the Boggans, but most of the context was inscrutable to her. The most she gleaned was a sense of deep anger on the side of the Boggans, and she spent a while pondering vaguely about its origin. Such terrible hatred did not erupt out of nowhere. Maybe if the Jinn spent more time learning about their enemy, it wouldn't have to come down to blood.

She rolled up the index and placed it back in its box and made her way back to the lift. Following Nod's example, she pulled on the lever and the lift dropped down to meet her. There were two more levers inside the carriage, and she wavered between them before choosing the one on the right.

"Damn it!" she muttered as the lift descended instead. The Ring below the one she had previously searched was mustier and darker, though the Draíochta still kept it lit. Moths still fluttered through the room, entering and exiting from small chutes in the wood. These were older scrolls, so she wondered why the moths still came in to do maintenance.

After making a mental note to check out the lower floors the next time, she choose the correct lever and finally made her way back to the surface. The party somehow still had not ceased, and she shook her head. Where did they get all the energy?

The main hall was still crowded and loud, much to her dismay. _How am I supposed to find Nod in all this?_ She could barely see over the people in front of her.

MK slithered through the crevices in the mass of singing, drinking people. Often, she found herself forced to the outer wall where she couldn't see anyone, much less her ride home. Her research had exhausted her far beyond her capacity to deal with that sensory overload, so she worked her way around the perimeter until she found the exit and dashed out into the cold night air.

"How did it get so late?" Her breaths came out in puffs of mist, and she hugged her pink hoodie around herself. Her hosts in Moonhaven had lent her some clothes, but they were light and airy. Apparently Jinn didn't feel cold the same way humans did.

MK dangled her legs off a branch, marveling at the height. In the shadowy night, it was impossible to see the ground below, so her view dropped off into an inky void. If heights bothered her, she would have fled back to the rowdy party. But the cold quiet refreshed her exhausted body, even as she shivered. The moon was visible through the wide parting in the trees, lighting up the distant trees with silvery blue. If she got anything out of her grand adventure as tiny person, it was the magnificent views with which the forest graced her.

She took to pacing up and down the branch to keep herself warm, peeking back into Nim's hall which only seemed to get louder as the night grew longer. Nod was still nowhere to be seen, and she wondered if he'd forgotten her, or maybe intentionally lost her.

"Seriously, how long can you possibly stay at a party?" MK scanned what little she could see of the room from the entrance for the umpteenth time. "I give up already," she said, walking out.

"Maia? Hey, Maia?" she called. The hummingbird was not fond of her, so it was a long shot that Maia would heed her calls, much less take her back to Moonhaven sans Nod. As expected, Maia was as absent as her rider, earning a groan from MK.

MK strolled down the entire length of her branch, debating the wisdom of trying to get back to Moonhaven alone. She was sorely tempted, but it would be a long walk, based on how much flying they had to do to get there. Her backpack pulled on her aching shoulders, forcing her to adjust it. It would be an even longer walk with that thing straining her back the entire way.

By the time she reached the end of the branch, she decided it would be worth the time and effort to brave the crowd and find Nod, or else get drunk enough to fall asleep in some chair in the warmth of the main hall. MK stepped forward to head back to Nim's hollow. She made it halfway back down the branch when a sudden wind surged through the treetops and swept her clear off the branch. MK tumbled, screaming into the night.

Falling was a strange sensation now that she was tiny. Every shift in the air affected her flight, and she drifted like a dandelion seed back down to the earth. Where the trees blocked the wind, her descent increased in speed. MK braced for the impact, and when her feet hit the ground her legs recoiled and instead of absorbing the shock, launched her into the air.

"Whoa!" She stumbled, adjusting her landing so that she didn't take off like a rocket again. MK glanced back at the spot where she had touched down and realized she had accidentally jumped an entire Stomper-sized meter. "I didn't know I could do that." It reminded her how fleas could leap many body lengths into the air.

_Where am I?_ The wind had swept her bearings away. At least at Nim's tree, she knew roughly where they had come from and what the land looked like. The darkness changed everything, and MK wondered if it were only her imagination or if the plants around her really did loom in a more sinister posture than they did in the heart of Brightwood.

Flecks of moonlight dotted the ground, but she couldn't see the moon through the thick branches above her, making her feel even more lost.

_I guess I could try to just pick a direction._ Doubt rose in her mind at that idea. _Then again, I couldn't even guess the right lever on Nim's elevator._ The sound of leaves rustling nearby made MK jump and break into a jog back in the direction she came from.

She wondered how close she was to the Wrathwood. Nod had pointed it out again as they flew to the Rings of Knowledge so she knew it was close. Another closer noise startled her, and she froze in place. MK held her breath in the silent air, ears straining to pick up every detail of her surroundings.

The sound of heavy, uneven footsteps approached. MK eased into a crouch, slinking into the shadows. A figure stumbled into view, breathing harshly. MK pressed her arm to her mouth to stifle a gasp of surprise. As the figure passed through a stream of moonlight, she caught a full view of their form and recognized them as one of the Boggans. Even her blood stilled in fear of being heard.

MK squinted at them in the dark. He was limping, she realized. The Boggan drew closer, walking right past her without seeing her, and she could see the arrow protruding from his leg. He managed to struggle only a little ways more before collapsing to his knees to catch his breath.

Instinct pulled at her to stand and help. Her mind flew to the first aid kit that still sat in her backpack. She had carried it all this way out of an almost pathological reluctance to leave it behind, and now that someone actually needed her attention, was she really about to ignore them?

_This isn't my war,_ she reminded herself. _Compassion does not take sides._ When she rose to her feet, it was Nurse Malone who stepped forward toward the crouching Boggan.

At the sound of her footsteps, the Boggan lurched to his feet, staggering as he did so. He whipped out a knife and held it out in a shaking hand, his other arm clutched to his side.

MK raised her hands quickly in surrender. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

"You think I'm stupid?" the Boggan snarled.

"I think you're not going to be fighting with those injuries," MK said. "Look, if I actually wanted to hurt you, I kind of missed my chance."

The Boggan paused, eyes flickering in and out of focus as he attempted to contemplate the logic of her statement in spite of his fatigue. "I guess…" Doubt and fear trembled in the undertones of his voice.

MK softened her tone. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help, but only if you let me."

Eventually, the knife lowered. He gave her another suspicious look. "Why? We're enemies."

MK shook her head. "I'm not one of them."

The Boggan's eyes widened, and he sheathed the knife altogether. "You're neutral?"

"Yes." It was probably poor thanks to the hospitality of Moonhaven, but she still owed them no allegiance. Seeing the scared, injured being before her, she was pretty sure she wasn't helping out the murderer of Nod's father. As she approached, she got a better view of the youthful roundness of their features. _How old are you?_

She crouched down at his side and removed her backpack and pulled out her key ring with its tiny but brilliant flashlight attachment.

"Close your eyes. This is going to be bright," she said before clicking the light on. The blaze of blue-white fluorescence burst into her vision. MK squinted, blinking hard until her eyes readjusted.

"Wow, that is really bright," the Boggan said, turning away. "What is that?"

"Flashlight," MK replied. "Where are you hurt?"

He gestured to his right thigh from which the arrow protruded and then lifted the hand from his right side to reveal a large bloodstain surrounding a laceration in his clothes.

MK pulled out her first aid kit. "We need to stop the bleeding before we go anywhere. How far are we from the nearest healing…uh, place?" She took a large patch of gauze and pressed it to the side wound.

"The Wrathwood Hollow," the Boggan said, wincing as MK pushed the gauze against the cut.

"Hold that there, firmly," MK said, rummaging for her tape. "Is that far?" She glanced at the arrow. "That's going to need stitches somehow," she muttered.

"Not super far, but it feels like it is right now," he said.

MK clicked her tongue. "No, more specific." She cursed the lack of translatable measurements. "There, from here to that crooked tree up ahead, how much farther than that?" At the far end of the visible path, a twisted bush hung amidst the gloom.

"Oh. Maybe four times that distance," he said.

MK secured the gauze tight to him to stanch as much of the bleeding as possible. "I'm going to try and secure the arrow so that it doesn't move when you try to walk. I need to cut it out cleanly and that'll cause more bleeding so you'll need people nearby to help you."

"Can't you just pull it out? I wanted to but..." His eyes flickered downward, embarrassed.

"No!" she said, appalled. "Definitely not. It's likely barbed so it'll tear your muscles if I just tried to yank it out by force. It was good that you didn't pull it."

The Boggan stared at her in horrified relief. "Really? Everyone else just yanks it," he mumbled.

She fastened the arrow as best she could with her tape and nodded. "It would cause more damage and you probably would have died of blood loss." A list of possible fatal dangers ran through her mind. "Okay, let's get you to the Wrathwood Hollow."

"Are you sure? People could mistake you for a Jinn."

MK gave him a hard stare, and he shrank away from her intensity, even as she helped him to his feet.

"Well, I can chat with them about it later. Now, I have a patient to care for," she said. In surgical care, she'd handled aggressive family members and rowdy patients who resisted treatment. It was surprising how effective a simple steely gaze could be when performed right.

Together, they hobbled down the path, the Boggan breathing hard at her side. MK was glad that she had been working out, otherwise her endurance would have run low far too quickly.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally broke from the thick of the forest into the open moonlight. Spread out before them, they could see the flattened expanse that MK recognized as the Wrathwood. There, the land was littered in decaying wood and fungus, skeletons of trees crouching under the open sky.

"There, that's the Hollow," the Boggan said in a strained voice, lifting the hand that was draped over her shoulder to point.

It was still a good ways off. MK shot a look at the arrow and hoped it hadn't shifted around too much during their journey. They struggled down a slope leading to a broad expanse that held an unsettling resemblance to Mordor. She turned her mind away from the faint stench of earth and carrion that floated in the air.

The sound of hustling footsteps alerted them to the presence of others approaching. More Boggans burst from the tangles of dry vines and branches and surrounded them.

"What's going on?" a large one demanded in a gravely voice. "Who is this?"

A smaller Boggan leaned closer. "Can it be? Dagda?"

The Boggan slumped on MK's shoulder lifted his head and gave a feeble wave with his right hand. "I'm back." He canted his head toward her. "Thanks to her, so be nice."

"Why would a Jinn help one of us?" the large one said. He brandished a large club.

"I'm not a Jinn," MK said, ignoring the twinge of fear that flared up in her gut. _Think of that big, angry soccer dad that one time, just bigger and with a weapon._ "But I'm not about to leave Dagda's side until they get proper treatment for their injuries, and standing here talking is wasting valuable time!"

"Just listen to her guys. She really helped. Even helped me walk all the way back here," said Dagda.

The other Boggans glanced at each other, shifting nervously. "Someone needs to tell Mandrake," the smaller of the leaders said.

MK's eyes widened at the mention of Mandrake. The fear bubbled up, stronger this time, and she wanted to turn and run. _Too late, you committed,_ a voice in her head reminded her.

The smaller one interrupted her thoughts. "Fine, we'll let you come. But no funny business."

MK nodded, and let them shoulder Dagda's weight. She followed closely, carefully watching the other guards around them. They stopped at a large lean-to where a group of Boggans were gathered around a fire. Everyone in the area stared in shock and confusion at the sight of the procession.

The Boggans laid Dagda down on a bed of animal hide at the back of the shelter. MK knelt down next to them.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better lying down," he said.

The smaller Boggan from earlier stood nearby, watching, and MK turned to get her attention. "Do you have any medical supplies?"

The Boggan blinked at her and glared. "Supplies?"

MK growled. "Healing supplies!"

The other Boggan grimaced. "What does he need?"

"I need more bandages for one, and medicine to clean the wounds, a small, sharp knife, needle and thread to stitch the wound."

The Boggan balked at the list. "Needle and thread?"

"Do you not have that?" Worry constricted her. Without something to hold the wound shut in Dagda's thigh, he was going to have a serious problem.

"Not for healing," said the Boggan.

"Do you have medicine? Salves? Balms?" Her tone grew increasingly ferocious as her frustration rose. How could she be of any use without any of the proper equipment?

"Stop asking questions. I'm not letting you touch him until Mandrake allows it," the Boggan snapped.

MK launched herself to her feet. "Well, how long is he going to take? Dagda isn't getting any better the longer we do nothing! I'm trying to help but you need to give me something to work with."

Her shouts roused the nearby Boggans, who all stood, loosely holding their weapons. Doubt passed over the first Boggan's face. "I don't…" She stopped at the sight of MK's wide-eyed expression.

A tall, imposing form stalked into the lean-to, draped in a bat hide cloak. The long, pointed ears helmed his head like demon horns. The sentinel turned and slunk back out of the way, and MK knew she was standing face to face with Mandrake, leader of the Boggans.

* * *

Chapter 5: Stitches comes out on May 2.

Here's an excerpt:

_"Ah." He paused. "Then you are not in allegiance either?"_

_The weight of the question sank down on her shoulders. MK scanned the chamber with flickering glances. Was she on a side? No getting involved, she'd said, but sitting in the heart of Boggan territory beside the Boggan chieftain himself and the son she'd just helped to save, MK wasn't so sure that was an option anymore._


	5. Stitches

Hullo again! It is Friday, and Friday means update! When I was revising this, I really had to work to tone down my fondness for Mandrake whenever I described him. I'm sorry, that character is such a delight. I think I made the narrative reasonably objective though. Fjkljsldkajf I just really like the Boggans I'm sorry.

So in this chapter, you get to see MK be a medical badass, meet another Boggan Amianth, and watch Nod panic. Compared to last week's beast, this is a short one though.

* * *

Chapter 5. Stitches

MK wasn't sure what she imagined Mandrake to look like based on Nod's stories, but it definitely wasn't this. The Boggans she had seen so far all had a sturdy brutality to them. Standing tall with the long, hooded cloak flowing behind him and a wooden staff in his hand, Mandrake was regal. The very intent of his approach made her dip her head in obeisance and step aside to let him pass.

"Son," he murmured, moving to Dagda's side. MK definitely hadn't expect that either.

"Hey, Dad," Dagda whispered with a smile. "I made it."

"I was worrying for hours," Mandrake said. "We searched everywhere." MK glanced awkwardly at the other Boggan who had pressed herself into the opposite corner of the shelter. MK felt like she was intruding on something private.

"She's helping me," Dagda said. "So don't kill her."

MK swallowed hard as Mandrake rose back to his full stature and examined her with a sidelong gaze.

"Did she now?"

He regarded her with venomous, serpentine vigilance. She reached deep to find her courage to speak.

"I committed myself to making sure your son is healed. Until someone removes the arrow and treats his wounds properly, my job is not finished. But his injuries are dangerous unless handled with care," she said as carefully as she could.

Mandrake faced her fully. "Why would I trust you with the life of my child?"

Frustration boiled her fear away. Did no one realize the danger Dagda was still in? MK straightened herself against Mandrake's height.

"It doesn't have to be me, but someone has to do it and do it right now! He's still losing blood. He could get an infection. The arrow is wreaking havoc the longer it stays in his leg! If there's no one else around, then I'm going to save his life, and if you care about him as much as I think you do, you won't try to stop me!"

A palpable silence filled the air as all the other Boggans cringed in horror at her impudence. But fear of losing a patient's life trumped the fear for her own, and she stared furiously at Mandrake, hands clenched at her sides.

"If I wanted to hurt him, I wouldn't have brought him home. If there are no other doctors, then I _will_ treat him. I _can_ save his life!"

Mandrake glanced down at Dagda, and MK saw a softness in his eyes that seemed at odds with the cold-blooded killer Nod and Ronin described.

"You'll come with us to the Hollow," Mandrake said quietly. "You'll work there." Without waiting for her response, he gently picked up his son and carried him out.

"Bring the Jinn girl to the Hollow," he ordered, and the Boggan she had been speaking with beckoned her to follow. Outside the lean-to, a cluster of bats roosted in a low branch. At the sight of Mandrake, they swooped down and landed awkwardly, waiting for their riders.

The bats were larger than hummingbirds and difficult to sit on.

"Hold on to the fur," the Boggan rider said, climbing on behind her. Mandrake's bat took off and the bat fluttered into the air after. The takeoff was clumsy compared to birds, and with each wing beat, MK's grip tightened in fear that the bat would pitch them clear off its back.

From above, she could see a large, hollowed out stump in the distance. As they approached the Hollow, Mandrake's bat pivoted in midair, hovering with its back facing a landing platform, making it easy for Mandrake to smoothly dismount without jostling Dagda.

The bat she was riding was less skilled, and its attempt to do the same resulted in she and the Boggan rider being more or less tossed from its back. The rider grumbled at it, and it squeaked irately at her before flying after Mandrake's mount.

MK dusted herself off quickly before hurrying after Mandrake. As she followed them, another Boggan joined. She was wirier than Dagda, and her head was covered in a crest of quills that resembled stiff hair.

"Dagda!" she cried out, rushing over to Mandrake's side.

"Amianth," Dagda groaned. "Don't shout."

"Sorry," the new arrival whispered. She shot MK a glare.

"Chief? What's happened? Who's the Jinn?"

"She claims she can heal him," Mandrake replied. They entered a cozy chamber where Mandrake laid Dagda onto a bed of furs and down.

Amianth frowned. "The Jinn would never…"

MK brushed past them, slamming her backpack on the ground and strewing the contents of her first aid kit out before her. "I'm not a Jinn. I'm a Stomper." She swung around to face Mandrake. "Do you have any kind of healing draughts, mixtures, whatever? Anything for fever or disinfectant? I don't know the biological makeup of your species so I don't want to use any old medicine."

Amianth looked up at their leader in confusion, and MK was about ready to burst a capillary in frustration. _No, getting mad won't do any good,_ she told herself.

"Be more specific," Mandrake said with remarkable composure for one whose child could potentially die.

She sucked in a rattling breath. "If you have it, I need something to numb pain or induce deep sleep. I need something to wash out and clean the wound. I need a needle and thread and the smallest, sharpest knife you have. I'm going to have to cut the arrowhead out surgically, so I'm going to need something to stitch the incision," she rattled off again.

Mandrake muttered something to Amianth who nodded and ran off.

MK set to work carefully removing Dagda's bandages. The flesh around the arrow swelled angrily, and she hissed through her teeth at the sight.

"Where's your magic?" Dagda asked, peering at her things.

"Shh." She pushed him back into a lying position. "I don't have magic. I'm not a Jinn," she said with professional calm.

Amianth returned with an armful of supplies and tossed them at MK's side.

"Thanks. Tell me what's what," said MK, picking up the knife in the pile. She wiped it with a gauze pad, wishing she could use her own antiseptics to clean it.

Amianth waited for a nod from Mandrake before launching into an explanation of the medicines they had. It wasn't much, MK realized, shaking her head. How many medical experts did they have? The Jinn had their magical healers, but what did the Boggans have? MK chased away thoughts of how many had fallen to elementary wounds that had been poorly treated.

"I need a bowl of boiled water," she said, before setting to her work.

* * *

Hours later, she sat watching Dagda sleeping heavily, a lone arrowhead sitting near the water bowl and dark brown Boggan blood all over her clothes. Both Mandrake and Amianth had been appalled and fascinated by the stitches, until she explained in clipped tones why it was necessary to the healing.

Amianth had long since fallen asleep by Dagda's side. Mandrake sat near his son also, a hand rested on Dagda's shoulder.

"We have doctors, but nothing like the Jinn with their magic," Mandrake said. MK jerked out of her stupor.

"So what do you do when people get injured?"

"We apply some of the medicines you used and wrap the wounds. Even so, I've seen warriors die from less than this." Mandrake inclined his head toward Dagda. "They get sick over days until they die. I've never seen the methods you employed, nor the precision."

MK sighed, pulling her bloody gloves from her hands. "It's almost always infection that does it. That or blood loss, which would have been your son's fate if he had stayed out in the forest without stanching the bleeding."

That earned her another sidelong examination. "Why did you help him?"

She attempted to rub the exhaustion out of her eyes. "I'm not from around here. Not even close. Where I'm from, I'm a healer of sorts. But we don't have magic there either, just our knowledge and our tools." MK gestured at the scattered contents of her first aid kit. "It's my job to care for people in need and do everything in my power to help them, regardless of whose side they're on."

"Yes, you did proclaim on multiple occasions to not being one of the Jinn," said Mandrake, and MK was surprised to hear a note of wryness in his voice. "How is that possible though? A Stomper you said?"

MK ran a hand through her tousled hair. It was falling out of her ponytail by now. "That's a story that's been told a million times by now."

He raised an eyebrow.

"Exaggerating!"

"Ah." He paused. "Then you are not in allegiance either?"

The weight of the question sank down on her shoulders. MK scanned the chamber with flickering glances. Was she on a side? No getting involved, she'd said, but sitting in the heart of Boggan territory beside the Boggan chieftain himself and the son she'd just helped to save, MK wasn't so sure that was an option anymore.

"No," she said finally. Somehow it felt like a betrayal to Nod, but the other answer would have felt no different in its own way.

"Hmm." Mandrake fixed her with another anguine stare, chipping away at her composure. "Make it a million and one," he said. The undertones of his words reminded her how suspicious she looked wearing the face of his enemies in the middle of his home.

Even if MK had, in fact, already told the story a million times, no rendition would have had to be more convincing than this one.

* * *

Nod woke up to an elbow to the face from the unconscious beetle flailing in its sleep beside him. For once, the main hall of Nim Galuu's fortress was still and silent, aside from the various snores he heard across the room.

"Aw maggot-crap, is it morning?" he groaned, rubbing the sore spot where the elbow had rammed into his cheekbone. His eyes widened, and he bolted into a sitting position. "MK!"

Nod raced down every level of the Rings, even the dank, mildew-crusted ones just above the roots, and MK was nowhere to be found. "Oh no. Oh no. MK, I'm sorry!" His apologies did nothing to make the lift return to the top any faster.

He leaped over the partygoers from the previous night who lay tucked into the corners of the main hall and bolted out the door. Maia fluttered down to greet him.

"Maia! You're still here? Damn it…Where's MK? Have you seen her?"

The hummingbird trilled at him.

"Ugh, I guess you were probably asleep. Oh, this is so bad. I messed up, girl," Nod moaned, shaking Maia's face in his hands. He mussed his hair and wrung his hands. "Damn it! Ronin is going to kill me if he finds out I lost her." He gritted his teeth. "Ronin's already going to kill me since we stayed out all night."

Maia prodded him with her beak.

"What? What is it?"

She jerked her head to the west, and Nod's gaze settled on the Wrathwood, still couched in its blanket of darkness that hadn't yet been chased by the morning sun.

"No. No, that can't be right. That's impossible. She's got to be inside somewhere." Nod raced back into the main hall. Maybe she was sleeping with the rest of the loiterers, and he missed her.

Nod wandered around the hall, tripping over people who had lain in the middle of the walkway. He shot quick glances at every face, but he caught no glimpse of the strange pink hooded coat MK wore, or even anything similar.

"Where are you?" Nod paused in the doorway, remembering the glint that entered MK's eyes when she stormed out of Asteria's healing room, threatening to trek across the forest on foot if she didn't get anyone's cooperation. He ran a tense hand through his hair. "Don't tell me you tried to walk home in the dark."

Maia was hovering just outside the threshold of the door, chirping and tapping the tree with her beak. Nod ran out to her.

"You're serious? MK is in the Borderlands? Did you just let her leave by herself?" he shouted. The sleeping people near his feet groaned at the noise.

Maia glared and twittered indignantly. She spiraled in the air, whizzing past a twig, sweeping the leaves in the breeze of her wake.

"Wind? You mean she got swept away?"

The hummingbird bobbed her head. Nod propped himself against the wall for support.

"This is not happening to me." If she had been found by Boggans in the Borderlands, she would definitely be mistaken for a Jinn and killed on sight. "We have to find her now." Nod swung himself onto Maia and spurred her in the direction of Wrathwood.

* * *

As MK finished explaining herself, she couldn't help but stifle a yawn. How long had she been awake? Light crept into the chamber through the large holes and crevices in the walls and ceiling, so she guessed that she must have been up all night—not that long night shifts were alien to her.

"You don't look like you believe me," she said carefully.

Mandrake's lips quirked into a poisonous smile. "I find it more believable that you are a Stomper shrunken by magic than the fact that you were so willing to help Dagda." He leaned back and gazed down at Dagda's sleeping form. "No one helps us."

MK's eyebrow quirked, and she struggled to conceal her bewilderment. It seemed a mundane fact to Mandrake who didn't even look up as he spoke, but for MK it was the tip of an iceberg whose roots delved deep beneath the surface of the ocean. She had been told about how terrible the Boggans were, and believed the stories because she hadn't imagined Nod or any of the Jinn would be lying about such things. Dagda had been wandering alone and lost in the woods, would have died without her. _No one helps you._ A renewed sense of commitment flooded her to see her task through to the end, whatever it was.

Mandrake hadn't finished talking. "Besides, the shrub-scum were the ones who found you and cared for you. Why would you betray their alliance?"

"You think this is some convoluted plot to trick you?" MK asked in disbelief.

"The Jinn would go to any lengths to keep their weedy chokehold on sovereignty of this forest."

The candidness with which he delivered the statement floored her. MK stared hard at the ground. "Well, I'm not trying to trick you. This is not my world. This is not my war, and I don't have a right to choose a side when I know nothing of your history. I helped Dagda because he needed it, and it's my job to help those in need."

"If only everyone were as simple as you," Mandrake said, rising.

"People would probably die a lot less," MK said, eyes drooping.

The Boggan chief paused in thought at that, and MK hoped she had gotten through to him. Eventually, he spoke again. "Know this, Stomper girl: you have saved the life of my son, and I am grateful for that. But I don't trust your intentions. If you are as unaffiliated as you claim, you will not mind a prolonged stay in the Wrathwood, now would you? Just to be sure."

MK turned to look at him sharply. Was she a prisoner?

Mandrake continued, "You will look after him until he is fully healed. Then I will decide what to do about you." His leathery cape brushed her as he swept past. "I certainly hope you can be very convincingly neutral."

He stopped again at the door. "Amianth!"

Amianth jolted upright, taking only a moment to blink away the sleep. "Yes, sir!" Beside her, Dagda stirred.

"The Stomper keeps vigil over her patient. You will keep vigil over her." With that command, Mandrake left the room, and MK sat with her patient and an owl-eyed Boggan who watched her with piercing gaze. MK yawned again, her head sinking downward.

"Did you sleep?" Amianth asked.

MK shook her head. "Does he expect me to stay up all day watching him?" She was halfway into lying down.

Amianth crawled over to where MK sat. She wore a cape of glimmering fly wings which rustled as she moved. "We could kill you in your sleep, you know."

MK rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes. "I hope you don't. I didn't kill you or Dagda, so it's only fair."

To her surprise, the amusement was audible in Amianth's voice. "How nice of you. It is only strange to me that you would sleep so easily in the presence of enemies."

"It's easy because you aren't enemies," said MK, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Chapter 6: Heart of Fire will be released May 9.

Here's an excerpt:

_"I can help if anyone else is…" MK rushed into the room, and everyone froze. "Hurt," she finished, staring at Nod who was nursing a bleeding lip and a black eye. He crouched, doubled over in pain, just as a Boggan was preparing to deliver another kick to his stomach._


	6. Heart of Fire

Hi all, here is chapter 6 as promised. As usual, thanks for all the lovely reviews. I'm glad you all seem to be having as much fun with this as I am! With regard to future releases of chapters, these past few weeks have bogged me down with a load of school projects, making my chapter buffer shrink much more than I would like. So on May 23, (that's the week after next) I will be taking a one week hiatus. That's Memorial Day weekend anyway, so I'm sure a few of you will be quite busy already, and that will give me time to catch up again so that I can maintain a nice regular schedule for you! I'm working really hard on making sure there are no excessive waits for each chapter (unlike my previous fanfic)!

Cheers and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6. Heart of Fire

Nod and Maia followed the silk moth as it tracked MK's scent through the Borderlands. They kept low to the ground, under the cover of the thick shrubbery. It was impossible to tell when and where the Boggans were trying to expand their territory, and spies lurked throughout those parts of the woods. If Nod were seen as encroaching on the Wrathwood claim in any way, Mandrake would not hesitate to initiate a fierce retaliation.

The farther the moth led them, the more Nod's stomach wound into knots. Soon, the territory would cease to be the Borderlands and open into unadulterated Boggan domain. He'd told her where the Wrathwood was, what it looked like. The only way she would have come this far was if she'd had no choice. He bit his lip to push away the images of MK in the hands of the Boggans that formed in his mind.

They reached the edge of the greenery, where the bright life of the forest fell away into dust and ruin. Nod dismounted, gesturing for Maia to stay low and quiet. The moth fluttered in front of him, staring with cold, silent eyes before heading back the way they came. Nod muttered his thanks as it left, swiping off the noxious moth powder that landed on his clothes.

"Wait for me," he whispered to Maia, and crept out of the shade of the brush.

As far as he knew, Boggans did not enjoy being out in the height of the afternoon. The deserted, dead land was quiet and still, but Nod restricted his path to the twisted shadows cast by the woody debris and stone that scattered the landscape. Off in the distance loomed Mandrake's Hollow. Few Jinn had ever come back from the heart of Wrathwood, and those who did never escaped unscathed. Any injury MK bore would be his fault. He clenched his fists and pushed forward.

In a less sober situation, Nod would have grinned imagining Ronin's face at his stealth. Ronin never missed an opportunity to nag Nod about his poor sneaking skills. _At least I know I can do it when it counts,_ Nod mused.

The strip of shade he had been walking under ended and a brief patch of open space extended out in front of him. Nod cursed under his breath. There was nowhere to hide there, but he was already losing valuable time. He shook out his nerves, then broke into a sprint across the clearing.

_Just to that little crevice there!_ He kept his gaze honed on his target as he ran. As he approached shelter again, he dove forward and rolled into the shadows. Nod sat for a moment, composing himself and catching his breath, trying to stifle a grin of triumph, when he heard the familiar snap of a bowstring.

Nod ducked away from the arrow just in time, the velocity still humming in his ears after it grazed past him and ricocheted from the stone wall at his back. He shot a glance up, dancing away from two more bolts that raced toward him. _Time to make a break for it._

He pulled out his sword and dashed away toward the Hollow, juking to the side each time he heard the sound of another volley. Up on the walls that surrounded the path, Boggan guards burst from the woodwork to chase him. The screeches of grackles soon joined their shouts and ominous shadows flashed across the sun as they soared overhead. Nod skidded around a corner and crashed into a quarry of bones. He thrashed at the obstacle, trying to climb over the perilous mound when a scorpion rose from the pile, mounted by a Boggan. She nocked an arrow in his face and hissed at him.

"Lost, bark-muncher?"

Nod pivoted around to see a hoard of guards coming up from behind. The scorpion rider laughed.

"Heading for the Hollow, I think. Looks like you've got an appointment with the chief."

Something slammed into the back of Nod's head and his vision flashed before going to black.

When he awoke, Nod was sitting in a dank room of the Hollow. Cobwebs hung across the decayed plates of wood above him. He struggled against the cords that kept him tied to a post of bone. Voices approached from the door, and the canvas flap that covered the entrance flung open as the Boggans returned.

"Here's the scum we found slinking around," the scorpion rider said.

Nod looked up to see who else was there, and a chill ran through him. He gritted his teeth as Mandrake entered the room, followed by an entourage of guards. The only time he had ever seen his father's killer was from a distance during a particularly nasty territory skirmish.

"Well. Welcome. Do forgive me for not tidying up a bit. I wasn't expecting a guest." Mandrake's courteous tone simmered with undertones of venom.

Nod worked hard to return the scorn. "Oh, don't worry about it. I was trying to avoid bothering you."

"You shouldn't have. We all love the opportunity to show off our hospitality to our respected friends from the Brightwood." Mandrake stalked in front of him, planting his staff right in Nod's field of vision. The poisonous Blight glistened at the top. Mandrake noticed his stare.

"Oh yes, my favorite party trick." He lowered the staff and touched the Blight right in front of Nod's feet. The ground boiled and curdled, spreading out closer to Nod's toes which curled in involuntarily. Mandrake raised the staff again. "Oops, don't want to spoil the punch line."

"Cut the crap, Mandrake," Nod said, his voice coming out hoarse as fear constricted his throat. "We all know how the Blight works. You love to show it off enough."

Mandrake smirked. "Well you're no fun. A good joke always needs a proper set up."

No time left for banter. He clenched his teeth. "Look, you're going to kill me. I can't stop you." His voice rattled, and cursed himself for sounding like such a coward. "But there was a girl who wandered into Boggan territory yesterday. She looks like a Jinn, but she's not. If she's still alive, please let her go. It's not her fault she trespassed. It's mine. She's not one of us. She's not a part of this. Please. Let her go, and I won't complain about any torture you inflict on me. I swear."

Mandrake's eyes widened, breaking his intimidation like a wave. "The Stomper girl?"

"You know?" Nod gasped. "Is she alive?"

"I do, and she is. Quite the story, she has."

"Did you hurt her?" Nod's expression darkened, and he worked his wrists against their bindings.

Mandrake's eyes narrowed, and the tension returned. Nod held his glare until the force of Mandrake's gaze made him fidget. The Boggan chieftain's lip curled in a sneer. "Look at you. Trying so hard to look like a big shot. It's pathetic. What do you care about her, anyway?"

Nod grimaced, shoulders drooping. "It's my fault she got lost in Wrathwood. She would never have been involved otherwise. I know you hate us. But she's not one of us. Don't take it out on her, please."

Mandrake snorted and paced in front of Nod. "Hmm…You must be one of her caretakers she spoke of. Not very good at your job, are you?" He grinned at the horror that crossed Nod's expression.

"Did you—?" The words latched into Nod's throat. _No, MK…_

To his surprise, Mandrake merely rolled his eyes. "No. The Stomper is unharmed. Besides, you'd be surprised. She seems like she can take perfect care of herself." He turned, the edge of his cloak snapping like a whip in Nod's face. "The one you should be worried about is you."

* * *

MK woke to the sound of rustling and soft voices. She sat up slowly, eyes fluttering open. Amianth and Dagda were rummaging through the contents of her backpack, confusion knit into their expressions. MK couldn't help a smile.

"You shouldn't be sitting up yet," she scolded Dagda.

"I feel better already!" he said. That earned him a stern glare, and he slid back down into a lying position.

"You need to stay still, unless you want to reopen your wounds again, and that will make your father very unhappy with me," MK said. She regarded her bag. "Find something interesting?"

Amianth frowned as she picked up MK's key ring and rattled it. "Is this a weapon?"

MK laughed aloud at that. "No! They're keys. I use them to unlock things."

"They're just sticks. How do they work?"

"Uh." How did keys actually work? It wasn't something most people thought about. "I don't know exactly. But locks usually come with a little slot to put the key in. If it's the right key, you can turn it and the lock opens."

"Strange," said Amianth, rattling the keys again.

"Let me see." Dagda held out a hand, and Amianth dropped the keys into it.

"Don't lose that! I'll need it to get back into my house if I ever…" MK trailed off. "…Get back." Her vision glazed over. She only seemed to get deeper into the forest lore. If only she'd left an offering at the foot of the hiking trail like the grocery clerk said, maybe none of this would have happened.

"Are you really a Stomper?" Dagda was holding the keys up above his head and examining the different shapes. They slipped from his grasp and dropped onto his face. "Ow!"

This time MK and Amianth laughed together.

"Yes, I'm really a Stomper," MK said, smiling. Dagda plucked the keys off his face and handed them back.

"What are all these things on the floor?" Amianth gestured to the contents of the first aid kit.

"Hey! Is that my arrowhead?" Dagda interrupted.

"Lie down!" MK hissed. She handed him the bloody arrowhead, shaking her head. She was babysitting children.

"That's my first aid kit. It's bandages and medicine and anything else I would need to help someone if they got hurt and there wasn't an infirmary nearby," she answered Amianth.

MK proceeded to explain the gauze and antiseptics and Stomper health care to the curious Boggans, when a distant scream of pain erupted in the air.

"What was that?"

Amianth got to her feet. "I don't know."

Another cry rang out, and MK stood as well. "Do you think someone else is injured?" Somehow the cry sounded familiar, but it was hard to tell when it was so muffled. "I should go help."

"Mandrake would send for you," Amianth began, but at the sound of a third scream, MK dashed toward the door.

"It would save time if I just meet them halfway!" she shouted back to the Boggans.

"Hey!" Amianth shouted, chasing after her.

"Stay with Dagda!" MK called back. Amianth paused with indecision.

"I'm not going anywhere, Ami," Dagda said. Amianth nodded and followed MK.

MK followed the sounds, peeking into various crevices and chambers. The Hollow was so asymmetrical, it was easy to get lost. Finally, she found the door that led to the source of the noise.

"I can help if anyone else is…" MK rushed into the room, and everyone froze. "Hurt," she finished, staring at Nod who was nursing a bleeding lip and a black eye. He crouched, doubled over in pain, just as a Boggan was preparing to deliver another kick to his stomach.

Amianth rushed in a few seconds after. Mandrake fixed them both with an imperious look.

"Stomper, we should go." Amianth tugged at her arm, but MK brushed her off and hurried forward.

"Nod! What are you doing here?"

Nod jerked his head up at the sound of her voice. "MK! You really are all right! I was looking for you," he croaked.

"Amianth," Mandrake said in a low, dangerous voice. "Get her out."

"Wait, no! Please, let him go! He only came here for my sake. He wouldn't have intruded if it weren't for me," MK said, trying to position herself between Nod and his assailants.

"Funny, the story I heard was that you wouldn't be here if it weren't for his carelessness. So really, this problem is still his fault, and now he can deal with the consequences," Mandrake said with a flippant flick of his hand. He narrowed his eyes at her, and MK eyed the smoldering staff that now leveled at her. "Besides, why should you care? I thought you were neutral."

"I am. I didn't take their side, but I made no promises to your side either. My job is to heal people, but even more so, to prevent any harm at all!"

"It is really in your best interest to be the sort of neutral who doesn't meddle in things that aren't her business," Mandrake said.

MK didn't budge. _Do your job, Nurse Malone._ "The well-being of others _is_ my business."

"MK, get out of here. Just go, before they hurt you too," Nod said weakly from behind.

"Listen, if Nod didn't lose me yesterday, I would never have found Dagda. He would have lost way more blood, wouldn't have gotten proper treatment. He might have died like so many others before him. So really, Dagda is alive because of him." MK pointed behind her. "If you spare him, then you would be even. It's just numbers. You don't want to be indebted to a Jinn, right? And it's more than a fair trade. Dagda's life for one Jinn? It's obvious which one is worth more." She scrabbled for words hoping that if she fired enough of them at Mandrake, she would find the ones that worked. A fuzzy voice murmured in her mind about whether Nod would be insulted. She imagined his classic mock indignation until her mind slapped her back into focus.

"MK, what are you doing?" Nod hissed.

"I won't leave. I'll stay here like you wanted," she forged on. MK glanced back at Nod. "No one else will come in trying to rescue me. I'll keep my good faith. No taking sides, and I'll even stop meddling."

No one moved in the room, and all the Boggans stared at their leader.

"Please! He's barely more than child. Give him another chance," MK begged.

"No, stop! Don't do this." Nod struggled against his bonds, but MK hushed him.

"Fine."

Everyone looked up sharply at Mandrake. The Boggans murmured in shock.

"I accept your offer," he said to MK. Mandrake looked down at Nod. "The second time I lay eyes on you, no bargain, no debt, no miracle will ever defend you again." He jerked his head at one of the guards. "Get him out."

"Sir?" The guard hesitated, as if waiting for extra orders.

Mandrake's expression was that of one examining fresh sewage. "I'll keep my word. I'm no backstabbing Jinn." Mandrake waved them away sharply, and the guards dragged Nod out.

"Remember, no rescuing!" MK shouted as he was pulled away. Nod only stared back, guilt and hurt swimming in his eyes. The Boggans filed out, until none was left but Mandrake and Amianth. The latter stood tensely, waiting for orders.

Mandrake turned to face MK, expression inscrutable, and she cringed, waiting for rebuke. Instead, he gave an exasperated snort. "You've got some gall." His gaze grew distant, as though reminiscing. "A heart of fire," he murmured—so quiet, MK wasn't sure if the words were meant to be heard. He walked out of the room, and Amianth let out a breath.

"I thought he was going to kill you," she said bluntly.

MK grimaced. "Me too."

"Or at least the Jinn boy," Amianth added. "We should go back to Dagda."

MK nodded, and let Amianth lead the way through the winding corridors of the Hollow.

"Dad didn't kill you?" Dagda said, the moment they returned to his room. He sheepishly lay back down, not for the first time, after receiving a scathing glare from his nurse as she entered.

"Is this such a regular thing," MK asked waspishly, "that you people need to keep remarking about it?" To be fair, Mandrake had warned her to be very convincingly neutral, and she'd done a fabulous job of mucking that up.

"He ordered you to stay here," Amianth commented.

"I was only trying to be proactive," MK said, making a show of swiping dust from her sleeve, perhaps a little harder than needed.

"No one talks to the Chief the way you do," said Amianth, glaring at her with bright hawk-eyes. "He could kill you just for that."

MK refrained from expressing how stupid she thought that was. "Well, he didn't," she said.

"Dad won't kill you. Not right now anyway," Dagda said. He looked thoughtful. "You know a lot of useful things that could help us. But you should probably be more polite like Ami says. It's hard to tell with him sometimes."

He spoke about his father the way an engineer had once spoken about a particularly troublesome equation they had devoted years to solving. "I hope you're right about that," said MK. "Anyway, I'm only disrespectful when someone's life is in danger. Like yours for example."

"But not your own," interrupted Amianth.

MK frowned at her. "What?"

The Boggan shrugged, and her coat of wings shimmered. "You don't seem stupid. You must know you have put yourself in harm's way to protect others."

"I guess. It's part of my job. Do you think much of your own safety when you fight for your cause?" _Whatever that is_, she added.

Amianth paced along the side of Dagda's bed, and the two of them seemed to confer with each other tacitly before they shook their heads.

"Something more important than yourself," Amianth said slowly.

MK nodded. "You have your battles; I have mine." The three of them pondered separately for a while before MK breached the silence. "Does 'heart of fire' mean anything to you?"

Amianth and Dagda shared a glance, engaged in that continual, wordless conversation.

"Where'd you hear that?" Dagda asked with a shifting gaze.

"Your dad muttered it under his breath before he walked out."

Another shift, another silent discussion. Eventually, Amianth answered, "Those words weren't meant for you to hear."

Dagda added, "And don't ever mention it in front of Dad—unless you want to be turned into compost."

* * *

Chapter 7: Interlude I will be out May 16.

May 23 will be a hiatus week and then Chapter 8 will release on May 30.

Here's an excerpt:

_"If my son was going to put his life in danger, at least let it be for something he believes in with his whole heart, not to live up to some shadow of the past." She stood, and seeing her, Nod thought she could have become the real commander of the Leafmen if she had wanted. Eilley parted crowds in every reach of the Neutral, even among the racers and Bufo's gamblers. The war would never have even started if his mother had championed the Brightwood's cause._


	7. Interlude I

Okay there's no excuse for me this time. I'm just straight up late. It's usually because I put off the final proofread that I always do before posting. Except this time it's like 2 in the morning and so I probably missed somethings. Bleh.

Anyway, this is the first in a few of these sorts of "down times" when the curtain comes down for a bit and the plot catches its breath before a shift. You get to meet Nod's mother Eilley, whom I really enjoyed coming up with and get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes in the other characters' lives. Lots of angst happens haha. It was fun to write.

Cheers and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7. Interlude I

Nod raced into the heart of the Brightwood, launching himself from Maia's back as they landed on the threshold of Moonhaven. He stumbled but didn't stop his forward momentum.

"Ronin! Where's Ronin?" He nearly barreled into Captain Finn.

"Nod, what's going on?"

"Get out of my way! Where's Ronin?"

Finn grabbed him by the shoulders and held him in place, and Nod twisted wildly out of his grasp.

"Nod, what on earth?" Ronin strode down the ramp at the sound of the commotion, notified by the other guards.

"Mandrake has MK!" Nod shouted, and all the rage on Ronin's face fell away into shock.

"What? How did that happen?"

Nod's gaze swerved away. "It's my fault. I lost her at Nim's, and she got swept away by wind when she was looking for me."

"You were at Nim's? Of all the stupid things to do—You know how close that is to the borderlands!"

Finn backed away hastily as Ronin yanked Nod by the arm and towed him back to the Queen's sanctum.

"I tried to go after her. Got caught…" Nod mumbled.

"You went after her?" Ronin exploded.

"I had to! I was supposed to watch her!" Nod pulled his arm from Ronin's grasp and paced in front of him, rubbing his face furiously.

Ronin looked like he was about to shout again, but he paused, narrowing his eyes. "Is that how you got this?" He reached for Nod's lingering black eye, but Nod slapped his hand down. "How did you escape, and without MK? No, start from the beginning. Start after you realized she was gone from Nim's."

Nod glared at the ground, rubbing the abrasions on his wrists where the Boggans had bound his hands. "I got a silk moth to track her scent through the borderlands. It led me straight to the edge of Wrathwood, so I tried to sneak in. Got caught, even in full daylight."

"Damn it, Nod. Of course you got caught," Ronin muttered. "Those creatures have eyes everywhere, all the time."

"You want the story or do you want to lecture?" Nod snapped. His tone earned him a glare, but Ronin gestured for him to continue.

"I came to in the Hollow, and it turned out MK was alive."

"Was?"

"Is. I hope. To quote the Boggan himself: she can 'take perfect care of herself.' They were going to kill me, but MK walked in as they were beating the crap out of me." Nod shook his head, reliving the moment. "She talked him down. Somehow. Made a deal for me. Something about how she saved his son's life so now he owed her a debt." He lashed a foot out and kicked a pillar. "She offered to stay too, as like some kind of hostage, as a show of good faith that she was neutral in our war. She even promised we wouldn't try to rescue her. Why would she say something like that? Of course we're going to rescue her! None of this is her fault. She shouldn't even be there!" Nod peered at Ronin's stony expression, horror swimming up in his chest.

"We're going to rescue her, right?"

"Nod…"

"Right?" Nod lunged forward as he said it, reeling himself back in at the last minute. Ronin didn't move.

"I think MK understands what's at stake far more than you do," Ronin said. Nod's jaw worked, but his voice did not. Anger clawed at his throat, making it impossible to even breathe.

Ronin continued, "We've never managed a direct attack on Wrathwood, much less Mandrake's center of command! Don't you think we would have done it years ago? It would have ended the war. If what you say is true, MK is much stronger than you think she is, and we all have to give her due credit for it. You know how much we would lose if we tried a rescue mission on impulse like you want. Would you expect an expensive rescue if you were a prisoner there?"

"She isn't one of us, damn it! She's an innocent caught in the middle of _our fight_!" Nod's breathing came out in gasps. "And we're going to let her be a prisoner for it? We're gonna let her take the fall for us—the greater good she's not even a part of?"

"You really think she didn't know the cost of that deal she made for you?" Ronin shouted. "You would waste her sacrifice for your guilt?"

Nod shook his head. "She shouldn't have had to make it. She should be home with her dad, where she wants to be."

"But she did, and she's not," Ronin said. "MK is involved. Whether she wanted to be at the start, she is now. Nothing you want to do can change that. I'm sorry, Nod. But I think you have to trust her and her strength. If she can talk that rot-heart down, she's got more power than you think. You have to let it sit. Understood?"

Nod backed away. "No. Not understood."

"Nod"—

"This is maggot-crap, all right? A load of maggot-crap." He laughed humorlessly. "You know, I don't even think I know what I'm fighting for anymore. For my dad? For what, revenge? 'Cause I think I'm gonna have to get in line behind everyone else who's got a bone to pick with the Boggan king."

"You protect the people of Brightwood. That was the duty you"—

"_Protect_ them? That's _not_ what this war is about, and you know it. This is about getting even with the Boggans—it always has been! If we cared about protecting the people, we wouldn't be fighting a war! With invasions and attack strategies and the works! We would be guarding them and their homes; we'd be repairing damages done, not asking random people to make these kinds of sacrifice plays for us." Nod shook his head, the cold smile lingering on his face. "I'm starting to think maybe MK was onto something when she said we weren't working hard enough for peace."

A storm crossed Ronin's face, and Nod breathed out hard at his triumphant provocation.

"Peace? With _them_? You should know by now that's impossible," Ronin snarled. "Not with that murderer in charge. No, he's not going to stop until every green thing withers and every Jinn suffers."

"Then why is MK still alive? You said it yourself. If she can talk him down, maybe she knows something that we haven't figured out yet. So you're right. I agree with you. MK understands more than any of us what's at stake. More than me, and damn well more than you." Nod turned his back to Ronin.

The general advanced on him. "Nod, don't you dare speak like that about things you don't even understand."

"About what? The war? I was born in it! And that means something too—that I had to grow up in it and you didn't. You had a childhood, Ronin—an actual childhood! What does peace even look like? I don't even know. I've never seen it. All I know is I don't want to be old and dying and have there still be a war happening! And if being a Leafman means just staying and fighting and doing the same thing over and over until one side is destroyed, I'm not going to take part in it."

He heard Ronin pause. "What are you saying?"

Nod craned his head. "I quit," he said.

"You're not being serious."

Nod whipped around, nearly jabbing a finger into Ronin's chest. "I've never been serious about anything in my life, not until right now! I'm not a soldier. I'm not my dad, so stop trying to see him in me. But if I stay here any longer, maybe you'll get your wish because we'll both be dead. That's all that's ever gonna come out of this! That's the only end I can see!" He barely had time to register the pain that clouded Ronin's expression before Nod turned and fled from Moonhaven.

* * *

Maia carried him all the way out to the Neutral Territories where open, grassy fields interrupted the thick forest. Cricket music whirred around them, filling the night, as Nod mechanically crept into the bower that sheltered his mother's home. He slid down the vines and slipped into the opening in the tree that led to his room. His bed had been tidied since he last left it weeks ago—as it always was when he came back to visit his mother. She'd woven sheets of new down, twining scented petals and herbs into the layers. Nod buried his face into the feathery mattress and inhaled the soporific fragrance. The starlight glow pooled on his floor through his window, and he yanked a curtain across it, completing the darkness of his sanctuary.

When the morning came, even the curtain couldn't keep out all of the light, but Nod lingered, yanking the blankets over his face and scrunching himself into a corner. A light rustle sounded at the curtain that blocked his main door leading into the center of the tree, and he looked up.

"How'd you know I was here?" he asked.

His mother stood in the doorway with a fond smile. "Maia was on her perch," she said.

Nod groaned. "Ugh, she blew my cover."

That earned him a laugh, soft as dandelion seeds. "Don't you want me to know when you're coming to visit?"

"It's not that." Nod chewed on his lip.

She stood there patiently, waiting for his elaboration.

"It's going to be a long visit," he said finally.

"You know I don't mind your company." There was another silence, and Nod let it float in the air. His mom could wait days for him to speak in his own time. He breathed in, and the air tasted fresh.

"Does this mean you made breakfast?" he asked.

"Of course." She shifted, and he opened one eye to watch her leave. He turned to lie on his back, staring up at the pollen and dust that drifted in the filtered light above him. After gathering his energy, he kicked the sheet off his body and jumped out of bed, brushing the curtain aside to enter the main corridor that spiraled along the perimeter of the tree's interior.

The hollow of the trunk was astir with soft voices and the pattering of children's feet. A flailing bundle rammed into his legs and wrapped its small arms around him, nearly tripping him.

"Nod! Nod! Miss Eilley said you came back!" the grasshopper boy babbled, a grin plastered on his flushed round face.

Nod pinched his cheek and rustled his antennae. "What? Is my mom telling the entire tree?"

Another Jinn child came and joined the hug with a shriek. "Yes! You have to say hi to everybody now!" She tugged on his hand, brushing aside the large purple petals that covered part of her face. "Come on, Nod! We're waiting!"

The grasshopper bounded down the spiraling path ahead of them, looking back at every turn. "They're going to eat all of our breakfast if you don't go faster," he moaned.

"Well, if you stopped dragging me around, we could have a race," Nod said. Instantly the flower girl let go of his hand and dashed after the grasshopper.

"Ready, set, go!" she shouted and the children ran, giggling, down the trunk.

"You cheated!" Nod called after them, laughter rising in his voice. He jogged just fast enough to stay at their heels, reaching out to tickle them if they got too complacent. At the base of the trunk, several thresholds branched out, leading to the other areas of the thicket that made up the settlement. Nod followed the children out onto a sheltered veranda, shaded by the dense twine of vines, where a flock of Jinn, ranging from children to elderly, sat feasting on breakfast. The din of dozens of voices clamoring against each other crashed in his ears, but he only smiled.

"Sit with me, Nod," the grasshopper told him, leading him to an open seat. Nod caught the eye of his mother who was helping the other caretakers lay out platters of food for all of their wards.

"I see Abel has already caught you in his sticky fingers," his mom said with a smirk. She placed a bowl of warm, nutty broth before them both.

"Well, seeing as you went and told everyone in the Bower…" Nod said. "I'm not going to get a moment's peace, am I?"

His mom handed him a mug of honey-water. "You can, if you're clever."

"Miss Eilley, can I have seed cakes?" Abel asked. His full mouth muffled his words.

His mother pursed her lips. "Manners, Abel." The boy blushed and closed his mouth, chewing steadily.

"May I have seed cakes please, Miss Eilley?"

"Since you asked nicely," she replied with a smile.

"Yes, Miss Eilley, may I have some too?" Nod asked in a squeaky voice, batting his eyelashes at his mom.

She rolled her eyes and swatted him on the shoulder. "It's 'dearest mother' to you." She gave him the seed cakes anyway, and Nod winked at Abel who giggled behind a mouthful of his cake, manners already long forgotten.

When they finished eating, Nod helped the caretakers clear the dishes away. His mom caught his eye as they moved across the table from each other.

"You can help me make the beds."

He pouted. "I see how it is. You only want me home to help you with chores. I'm running away."

"I could make you do it yourself," his mother said, moving over and piling her load of dishes into his arms.

"Agh! All right! Give me a moment."

Hundreds of displaced creatures lived in the cluster of trees they affectionately referred to as the Bower. When the Brightwood-Wrathwood conflict escalated into an all-out war, refugees fled the deep forest and into the Neutral Territories and the open arms of Eilley and her helpers.

Nod walked in silence with his mother to the vacant rooms, whose inhabitants had gone off to play or enjoy the sun on the high branches.

"I quit the force," Nod said, once they were in the privacy of one of the rooms.

"I see." His mother's eyes glinted with steely pride. "May I ask why?"

"I have to tell you about MK first." Nod fastened a loose petal back into the twine of the mattress and straightened his posture. "Since this revolves around her."

His mom made quick work of the opposing bunks, swiping the dust out and straightening the children's belongings on the shelves.

Nod continued, "MK is a Stomper. She was shrunken—by the Draíochta. No one knows why. I found her in the borderlands, so Ronin assigned me to watch her. Anyway, I was trying to help her figure out what happened and how to get back home, so I took her to see Nim. Except I got carried away at the party, and she ended up getting swept back into the borderlands. She ended up in Wrathwood.

"You tried to rescue her," his mom said. She faced him with the tired resignation she always carried when he reminded her too much of his father.

"Yeah, well." He tossed his shoulders. "She ended up rescuing me."

His mom walked over and cupped his cheek, brushing a stray lock behind his ear. "I'll have to thank her, if I get the chance to meet her."

Nod pulled away. "Doubt that'll happen. She still in Wrathwood because of it, and Ronin's not planning on being any help." He sat on the freshly made bed and sighed. "We got in a fight."

"You two are always fighting." His mom didn't scold him for rumpling the bed he just made and instead sat beside him.

He shook his head. "I know it wasn't fair to ask him to risk all the Leafmen's lives for one person. Still rubbed me wrong though. I mean who are we really fighting for if we aren't willing to put it all on the line to save lives? I'd rather be here. At least I'm doing something actually useful."

"I'm glad you left."

Nod gave her a crooked smile. "I bet. Now that I'm no longer risking my neck."

His mother stared at the floor. "It's not that. I accepted your father's decision to become one of them. I respected that, because it meant so much to him—to be able to fight for the ones he loved. But it has to mean something." Her eyes narrowed in bitter memory. "Ronin was so convinced joining the Leafmen would give you a sense of purpose, and you seemed happy—at first."

"Is that why it made you upset?"

"If my son was going to put his life in danger, at least let it be for something he believes in with his whole heart, not to live up to some shadow of the past." She stood, and seeing her, Nod thought she could have become the real commander of the Leafmen if she had wanted. Eilley parted crowds in every reach of the Neutral, even among the racers and Bufo's gamblers. The war would never have even started if his mother had championed the Brightwood's cause. _I'd like to see even Mandrake try to meet one of her glares. He wouldn't stand a chance._

"I don't think even the Leafmen really know what they're fighting for anymore. And if that's the case, they've already lost." His mother headed toward the door and beckoned for him to follow. The discussion was over. "We've got an entire tree of beds to make, and it's already halfway to noon."

Nod shuffled after her, patting down the place where they had been sitting. "You know, MK stood ol' Mandrake down. She just bargained me out of trouble like it was nothing."

His mother turned sharply and gave him a smile that was slightly too knowing. "She must be quite the woman. I like her already."

Nod felt his face heat up at his mom's grin. "Yeah." His voice wavered a little. "MK, she's a fighter."

* * *

Ronin felt Nod's parting words like a reverberating blow to the chest. When a soft hand touched his arm, he remembered to take a breath. He turned to face Tara who touched his cheek, and he leaned into her touch.

"How much did you hear?" he asked.

"Enough. You two could have woken the entire haven."

"Where is Cian? Why did he have to die? We need him. Nod needs him." Ronin sighed and let Tara lead him into her shelter, the flowers bowing for their shared gloom. They sat together in the center, Tara braiding strings of petals together, and for a moment, Ronin could imagine that they were children again, back when the weight of duty was only a vague dream, and Cian still alive, back before the war came to cast a moldering shadow over the luster of Brightwood.

"Nod doesn't know what he needs or wants. You have to let him go—find his own path." She pulled Ronin's hand into hers, weaving her flower streamer in between his fingers. Tara leaned on his shoulder. "He's fine. I'm sure he just went to Eilley. Give him some time to sort himself out. Perhaps the Leafmen is not his calling."

"I wonder if I should—"

Tara reached up and placed a finger on his lips. "Let him be."

Ronin's posture drooped. "You're right, of course. I doubt Eilley would be happy to see me, in any case."

"Probably not," Tara chuckled. No longer hanging on his shoulder, she was practically draped across his lap at that point.

"Do you think I am wrong?" he asked. Dread snaked into his chest, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear her answer. But the doubt would consume him either way. "To not rescue MK."

"No." Her firm answer surprised him. Tara blinked and turned over so she was looking up at him. "I think you were right to have faith in her. Something tells me she is here for a reason. Ronin, we're so stuck in this fight. Yield to Mandrake, and we lose everything. Destroy the Boggans, and the balance is lost irreparably, and we still lose everything."

"And you think MK is the one to get us unstuck."

Tara nodded. "The Draíochta brought her here. Not for no reason."

"But why her?"

"I don't know." She smiled and gave his face a feline pat. "We'll just have to see, won't we?"

Ronin huffed, dodging her playful pawing. "I'd much rather deal with concrete facts."

"I know you do, love. But sometimes, we need to have a little faith."

* * *

Chapter 8: Roasted Fish is out May 30. As a reminder, next week I'm taking a hiatus to catch up!

Here's an excerpt:

_"You are a strange one, MK." Her name sounded foreign on Mandrake's tongue. Until then, only Dagda had called her by her name; Amianth insisted on calling her "Stomper" as a pointed display of exclusion. A shiver went through her—had she passed some sort of test to earn that privilege? "Your concern for the health of others extends even when you yourself are unwell."_


	8. Roasted Fish

So what was supposed to be a nice easy catch-up week ended up being the busiest week of the entire quarter. A bunch of friends kind of decided to all fly up to visit from home over one weekend, so we were caught off guard and kept very busy with them. Which created a backlog of work. But I digress. We're beginning the second wave of the story, where everyone has settled into a new place in the world, and MK is now beginning to learn more about the Boggans and their history.

* * *

Chapter 8. Roasted Fish

MK sniffed the bowl full of blackish muck that Amianth had given her. "What is it?"

Dagda scooped the sludge with his hand and slurped it up. "It's good! Try it. You look pale. It'll make you feel better."

She sniffed it again. "Okay, but what's it made of?" MK prodded it and it was clammy to the touch. She wrung her hand, flinging the muddy speck from her fingers.

"We harvest it from the mushroom farms. When plants die, we collect them and let the fungi grow in it. They produce this," Amianth said. "You do look pale. When did you last eat?"

MK paused. "A few days ago." She dipped her fingers into the bowl again and scooped a small quantity and raised it to her mouth. After squeezing her eyes shut, she gulped it down.

"Are Stompers supposed to turn green?" Dagda asked.

MK opened her eyes. "No." She leaned over and vomited bile.

"Oh!" Amianth leaped to her feet.

The bowl slid out of MK's hand as she dry heaved several more times, breathing heavily. An acidic burning filled her mouth, and she spat a glob of saliva that could rival a professional athlete's. "Ugh." She sat up, blinked in slow motion, and looked at the Boggans through half-closed eyes. "Yeah, I can't eat this."

She pushed herself away from the vomit and sank down to the ground.

"What can you eat?" Amianth asked.

"Fresh things." Her voice cracked. "I need water."

Amianth's pattering footsteps faded as she hurried to get MK what she needed.

"Um, are you all right?" Dagda shuffled where he lay.

"Don't even think about sitting up," MK growled, voice muffled by the floor.

"Here, Stomper." A cool bone dish touched her hand, and MK looked up to see Amianth was sliding a bowl full of water toward her. MK took it and gulped it down in one go. She gasped in relief at the hydration. The ache in her limbs faded slightly, and her head throbbed just a bit less.

"Hi, Dad," she heard Dagda say. She and Amianth turned toward the door. Mandrake entered the room like a dark wraith.

"How are you feeling?" Mandrake moved around and sat beside Dagda.

"I feel fine. MK won't let me sit up."

"Indeed?" Mandrake turned toward her.

She nodded, staggering back into a full sitting position. "He thinks that"—she winced— "because he feels better, he won't reopen his wounds if he starts running around the creation."

"I wouldn't run! I just want to sit," Dagda protested, but a hand from his father silenced him, and he pouted resolutely behind Mandrake's back. MK stifled a laugh and the effort made her stomach cramp.

"You do not look well," said Mandrake.

"She can't eat the mash," Amianth said canting her head towards the spot where MK turned her stomach out. Amianth and Dagda had cleaned their own bowls. "It made her sick."

"You need Jinn food."

Somehow Mandrake's comment made MK defensive. "I need _fresh_ food, is what," she repeated. "Stuff that hasn't, you know, been through a few cycles of decomposition."

"Like what?" Dagda asked.

She shrugged. "Birds, mammals, fish, fruit, leaves, roots."

Dagda balked. "All of them?"

"No, not all of them, but some things from every type. Some plants are poisonous, and some animals aren't very good to eat."

"I could find you something." Amianth glanced at Mandrake, soliciting permission.

"Wait, it's not going to be dangerous for you, is it?" MK asked. Most of the food she would be eating was not to be found in the Wrathwood.

"That would depend on you," said Mandrake. He was watching her with a curious expression.

"I can find something in the Neutral. It doesn't have to be in Jinn territory." Amianth got to her feet, taking Dagda's bowl from him.

"That's far, isn't it?" Dagda interrupted as he handed her his dishes.

Amianth shrugged. "Grackles are fast. It's up to the Chief."

MK's mind raced through all the possible options that required the least amount of potentially risky interaction. "What about fish? Are those easy to get a hold of?"

Amianth's golden eyes brightened. "That's very easy. I don't even have to leave Wrathwood." She dashed away, vaulting out of a window with feline ease.

"You are a strange one, MK." Her name sounded foreign on Mandrake's tongue. Until then, only Dagda had called her by her name; Amianth insisted on calling her "Stomper" as a pointed display of exclusion. A shiver went through her—had she passed some sort of test to earn that privilege? "Your concern for the health of others extends even when you yourself are unwell."

MK gave a dry laugh. "Yeah, well, nurses and doctors are always the worst patients." At their questioning expressions, "You spend so much time caring for other people, you forget you're a person too."

"Hm." Mandrake clapped Dagda lightly on the shoulder, contemplating. He stood, and MK wondered if he wore the bat skin cloak everywhere he went. It was a bit melodramatic. "You should listen to MK," he told Dagda. "She's right after all."

"I feel fine!" Dagda said, looking very much like he wanted to jump out of bed from the amount he was squirming.

"Even so," said Mandrake as he left the room.

Dagda sighed with impressive theatrics. "This is so boring."

MK felt the dizziness of hunger sweep over her again. "If I lie down and take a nap, I'd better not catch you breaking the rules. Otherwise, once Amianth gets me fed, I'm coming after you."

Dagda cringed at the steel in her tone. "You're going to make me lie here all by myself while you go to sleep?"

"Yes, and you're going to live with it. I'm wiped out." MK curled into a fetal position and tucked her face into her knees. Her thoughts swam like blind fish, jumbling together until they fell silent all at once.

* * *

She awoke to Amianth prodding her in the shoulder. In her dream, she'd been back home, wandering through the house and calling for her father. He hadn't been answering her, and as the waking life sharpened into focus, MK remembered why. Not for the last time, she envisioned her dad mussing his hair, pacing around the kitchen in a fit of indecision about where in the space he needed to be to conjure a meal.

Amianth hovered over her, dangling a dripping fish by the tail. "Is this good?"

The fish resembled a guppy, but at their size, it extended to nearly the length of her arm. "Yes, this is fine. Can you build a fire?" Both Boggans looked at her, perplexed. A smile bloomed across MK's face. "Want to see how Stompers make food?"

Twenty minutes later, MK sat holding the fish on a skewer over glowing embers. The coal couldn't have been more than a few specks of molten gravel that had crumbled from a briquette, but at their size, it provided ample heat to make the fish crackle as its skin turned golden brown.

"You burn your food?" Dagda asked. They strategically set the ember near his bed where he could easily watch. MK had been unwilling to test his obedience against the strength of his natural curiosity.

"Nope. We _cook_ it. Just enough so the flesh is no longer as raw, but before it blackens and becomes inedible," MK said. She took a gulp of the gourd of water that sat beside her, rubbing away the cold sweat that rolled down her brow. She hoped the heat wouldn't make her pass out before she could get her strength back.

Dagda craned his neck. "Why?"

"The heat kills things in the meat that could make us sick." She struggled to recall her brief experience in pediatrics, when she had to avoid using excessively technical words in front of her young patients. MK escaped that branch of medicine after her first semester. "It also makes it taste better for us."

"Stompers are weird," Amianth said. She sat with her knees tucked to her chest on the edge of Dagda's mattress.

MK's lips quivered with a barely suppressed smile. "We are, aren't we?" Her mind meandered back in time to her suburban Rochester apartment where she and her mom created chaos in their tiny kitchen as they tried to make the fanciest dinner for two that they could imagine. Nursing students didn't get much time to dabble in the culinary arts, so MK relished the memory, warding away her bitterness with every force of will she possessed.

"My mom could cook a mean cedar plank salmon. It's a type of fish that's…slightly bigger than this one." MK wasn't sure if she was telling a story or just trying to make the memory more real by giving it voice. "Every time I tried, I would always overcook it, and it would get chewy. She knew that sweet spot with the timing. I loved coming home when I had a break, and if we were having a craving, she would cook it for me."

Dagda and Amianth only nodded, as though they feared they might break something if they interrupted. The fish sizzled and popped as MK turned it.

"I miss cooking. Mom had a book that my grandma gave her, full of recipes the family collected over the years. We said we would try to make everything in the book." MK chewed on her lip. They had gotten almost halfway through, somewhere in the pasta section, when her mom's diagnosis came.

"When you speak of your mother, it is always in the past," said Amianth.

MK pulled the fish from the fire and laid it out on a flat stone. It was no cedar plank, but it would have to do. "Mm, I think it's done," she said, sidestepping the comment. She caught the Boggans sharing a glance out of the corner of her eye. She already had that discussion with Nod. She wasn't sure she wanted to run through it again.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Dagda said finally. He was watching her saw the fish in half. "Dad never does," he added in a low voice.

MK frowned at him, but Dagda was looking away, gaze fixed on the wall. She only knew Dagda and Mandrake. As far as she knew, she had never met Dagda's mother. MK peeled the flaky white meat from the spindly fish bones and filed away Dagda's revelation for a later day. Instead, she put a smile on and held up a piece of meat in her fingers. "Want to try some?"

"Yeah!" Dagda grinned and reached to take some. Amianth tilted her head and examined the fish carefully before taking a pinch as well.

The fish was a bit dry, but MK ate with vigor, occasionally pausing in her chewing to take a breath. Scales plastered onto her fingers and arms as she tucked in, and childish joy welled up in her at the freedom to eat like a complete barbarian.

"I like it!" said Dagda.

"It's interesting," said Amianth. But she watched the fish with an intensity that belied her indifference.

MK ate the entire fish, even feasting on the head and tail which had been cooked to a crisp. The meal carried a faint muddy flavor, but after a day or two of going hungry, MK only cared that she could swallow it.

With a full stomach, MK felt herself finally able to relax. It struck her as strange that only a few days ago, she'd come to the Hollow in the most dangerous circumstances imaginable. Now she was lying on the floor chatting about food with a pair of Boggans. Even as she attempted to explain the concept of spaghetti to them, MK had to marvel that she was teaching the son of a lethal, ferocious warlord about pasta.

* * *

Fish was fine enough when there was a bit of novelty to it, but after four more days of nothing but the same roasted fish, MK found herself praying for other options. She did not dare voice her longing for the sweet nectar cakes back in the clover gardens of the Brightwood. The last thing she needed was to further alienate herself in a world where she was the only one with pink-flushed skin and flaming red hair. It took all the focus she had to avoid lashing out in irritation when Dagda made himself an even more difficult patient as his health rapidly improved.

"All right, fine, I'll let you stretch your legs," she said on the sixth day after the operation. She could see Dagda practically vibrating with excitement. "But! You have to take it easy!"

"I'm fine, MK! I feel great!"

"Dagda, I'm serious!"

His limbs trembled like a condensed spring as he stood, and in a moment of panic, she thought he was going to leap into the air. MK gave Amianth a pleading look. "Please tell me you will keep him out of trouble. No running or jumping or pole-vaulting or whatever."

Amianth nodded. "I will, Stomper." She turned to her friend. "Don't make me tell on you to your dad."

Dagda stared at her, aghast. "My own friend would betray me!"

MK put her hands on her hips. "Are you saying you would ignore my instructions and go and hurt yourself again?"

He wilted, but only just. "I'm fine, MK," he assured her again. "I've been hurt before, and I got better real fast."

"You fell off your grackle and broke your leg," Amianth shot back. "You didn't get skewered by Jinn arrows."

"Come on, Amianth, it was only one arrow. And I didn't fall! Kevrel _threw_ me off!"

"And I'm pretty sure you fell. Kevrel wasn't even moving when it happened." Amianth turned to MK. "They were still on the ground and Kevrel only opened his wings to take off. This dope got surprised and lost his balance—ow!"

Dagda had smacked her on the arm. "Quit it! You're making me look like an idiot."

MK waved her arms. "Hey! If you start punching people, I'm putting you straight back in bed." They protested simultaneously.

"It was a just a tap!"

"You call that a punch?"

_I am babysitting children_, MK thought to herself again. They reminded her of college freshmen, and she wondered again how old they were. They couldn't have been much different from Nod. _And they grew up in a war_.

"Just promise you aren't going to go too far and that you'll come back before sundown," MK said, massaging the bridge of her nose.

"Promise." Dagda ambled as fast as he could out the door, Amianth close on his heels. MK sighed as their voices grew distant until they fell silent.

She shoved her hands in her pockets. The space in the room stood still with the Boggans gone, leaving MK to question what on earth she was doing there. She glanced at the curtain that covered the door. If Mandrake came in to find her alone in the room, how would he react? MK wandered out into the hall. "I'd better tell him where Dagda went before he decides to ask," she said to the empty air.

MK walked slowly, trying to keep track of the twists and turns she followed as she roamed through the Hollow, dusting away the occasional silky web that brushed across her face. Everything about the Wrathwood was covered in drab grays and browns. It had its own sort of melancholy beauty, but MK found herself longing for color.

A cross breeze drifted past, ruffling her bangs, and MK followed the source. A wide doorway, lined by rib bones opened up to an outdoor platform over which she could see the expanse of the Boggan territory and the splash of green woods far off in the distance. She made her way towards it when a shrill cawing pierced the air and beats of wind drummed through the door.

Mandrake swept through the gate, nearly walking right past her before he caught sight of her pink hoodie. He wore the disgruntled expression of one who had been bickering with in-laws for multiple hours about which restaurant they wanted to host a dinner party. MK wondered if Boggans had in-laws.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

MK swallowed before speaking. "Looking for you, actually."

His eyes narrowed, and she thought she might have seen panicked worry flash through them before he reined it in again. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, no. I just wanted to tell you that Dagda's feeling a lot better, so I let him go outside to stretch his legs. Amianth is watching him to make sure he doesn't do anything, er, foolish."

Mandrake's shoulders dropped to a near imperceptible degree as he relaxed. "I see."

MK picked at a fingernail. "So yeah. I just thought you might want to know."

The Boggan chieftain performed his usual scan of her expression, and MK held still, waiting for him to come to his conclusions about the sincerity of her intentions. And, as usual, she seemed to have met whatever standards to he measured her against, and he nodded curtly. "You thought correctly." He continued past her.

MK watched him go, already trying to remember how to get back to Dagda's room. When everything was covered in cobwebs, all the hallways started to look the same. Mandrake paused and turned his head to glance back at her.

"My son is alive because of you, MK. I will not forget that." He disappeared down the hall, leaving her to her confusion.

She hadn't spent much time in the Wrathwood, but Mandrake was not someone she could manage to put a finger on. The stories Nod had told her painted him as a cold-blooded tyrant who thought nothing of life. MK had never seen Mandrake in battle, so she had no idea how true that was. But dealing with him in person made a note of discord ring out on her mind—the stories and what she was seeing before her kept missing a connection. MK couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not, but if she was going to stay any longer, she needed to be quick about figuring that out.

* * *

Chapter 9: Hortensia comes out June 6.

Here's an excerpt:

_"For the Solstice, we are still in discussion." Hortensia paused, as though debating her next words. She turned to Dagda. "However, as Mandrake tells it, we still have an arrowhead that doesn't belong to us." Her expression was unreadable when she spoke, and Dagda wished he was as good as his dad at analyzing people. Hortensia smiled at him again. "You're strong. You won't be needing a caretaker much longer."_


	9. Hortensia

Hi all. Boy I'm exhausted. Here's a bit more of a day in the life of the Boggans. It was a fun chapter to write, and I especially enjoyed introducing General Hortensia because I need more female Boggans in the world. And what is this "heart of fire" everyone keeps comparing with MK? Ponder ponder ponder.

* * *

Chapter 9. Hortensia

Dagda clambered down the exterior of the Hollow, followed closely by Amianth. His injury still twinged when he extended his right arm, but he pretended not to feel it. If Amianth saw him flinch, he might have been able to convince her not to tell MK, but Amianth kept nothing secret from his dad.

The screech of a familiar grackle gave the two young Boggans pause, and they turned and looked to see Rukgar, his father's mount spiraling down toward the Hollow.

"He's back early," Dagda said.

"Either things went very well or very badly," replied Amianth.

Dagda continued down the ledge, but stopped when Amianth didn't follow. "Are you coming or not?"

"Maybe we should go back. The Stomper didn't get permission to let you out."

"I'm not some pet spider, Ami. I can go out if I want. Besides, if I have to lie down again, I'm going to break something in half."

Amianth shrugged. "Fine, then. But don't blame me if the Chief gets mad."

Dagda grinned. "He's always in a bad mood. Come on, Ami, let's go!" He almost broke into a run down the slope, but his scars tweaked, reminding him of MK's warning. She was tiny and frail compared to most of the Boggans, but there was something in her eyes that honestly kind of scared him when she got mad. It was like she was daring him to find out what she could do if he pushed too far. Dagda decided he wasn't stupid enough to try it, especially if she had the spine to shout at even his dad without backing down. Anyone that fearless was not to be messed with.

They made their way to a boneyard, where a group of soldiers were gambling with stones. The group looked up when Dagda approached. A couple of them saluted casually.

"Dagda," one of them drawled. "Knew an old arrow wouldn't keep you down long."

"Course not, Marrow. Do I look like a squishy larva to you?" Dagda squeezed his way into the circle. "I coulda picked my teeth with it."

Amianth kicked Marrow in the shoulder lightly. "Move over more, lump-head!" The two tussled briefly over the right for space, ending with Amianth socking Marrow's large nose.

"Ow! Fine, Wingthief, I'm moving."

Amianth situated herself to Dagda's left, and they sat watching the game, occasionally stealing snacks from their friends.

"Where's Hortensia?" Amianth asked, popping a handful of tiny crunchy beetles into her mouth.

Marrow looked at the Boggan across from him called Skinner. "Skins, where's the general?"

The mosquito glanced behind him. "Dunno. She went off to do stuff."

"Stuff?" Marrow scoffed.

"She can do whatever she wants. She's the boss, not me," Skinner groused.

"Idiot," Marrow said. He turned back to Dagda. "Anyway, wanna tell us what's up with that weird looking Jinn that came with you? People been talking about it ever since you got back."

"Oh yeah, MK. She's not a Jinn. Apparently, she's one of the Stompers, except she got shrunk so now she's our size," Dagda said.

The group all scrunched their faces in confusion. "Huh?"

"Something about the Draíochta, I think?" Dagda rubbed the back of his neck.

"You mean the Jinn's forest magic?"

"Yeah, like that. It made her small," said Dagda.

Skinner narrowed his eyes. "How do you know it's not just a lying Jinn?"

"She has weird tools," Amianth interjected.

"And she doesn't know anything about the forest. Or the war," Dagda finished.

"That's it?" Marrow raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't mean it's a Stomper."

Dagda shrugged. "I don't know. Dad believes her."

Marrow balked. "Really? The Chief bought that?"

"I think it's more convincing in person," said Amianth. "I don't think the Stomper is the sort who lies. If you saw her, you would know."

"Well if the Chief believes it, then what do I know?" Marrow said. He gathered some of the pebbles and tossed them across the table, watching where they landed among the various chalky circles marked on the surface. "Yeah, three of four!" he cheered. The other soldiers grumbled and pushed over their bets.

"She saved my life, anyway," Dagda said.

"Oh, I thought you were a tough guy," Marrow joked.

Dagda threw one of the pebbles at his head. "Shut up, mud-brain! I still had to walk all the way through the borderlands with an arrow sticking out of me before she found me. Hey, did you know that it's bad if you yank the arrow out? You're supposed to leave it in."

"Are you crazy?" Skinner asked. He took his turn placing his bets before picking up the tossing stones.

"MK told me that. I thought she was crazy too, but she said it tears your insides up because the arrowheads are barbed."

The Boggans all cringed at the thought. "Didn't think of that," said Marrow.

Skinner tossed his stones and then grumbled at the result. "So how'd you get it out?"

"The Stomper cut it out," Amianth said. "And then she used a needle and thread to sew the wound shut. It was weird. She said the Stompers do it all the time, and it makes them heal faster and better."

Dagda nodded. "It worked. It's only been a few days."

"Well, you were always a quick healer," said a new voice. A tall, lithe Boggan stalked into the boneyard. Any of the soldiers in the area toned down their rowdiness the moment they noticed her presence. She carried a long polearm with a curving bone blade extending from the end.

Amianth got to her feet, pounding her fists together in salute. The others at the table scrambled to follow suit. "Aunt Hortensia."

Hortensia held out a hand, and they sat back down. "So formal, as always, Ami," she said with a smile.

"Did you meet with the Chief?" Amianth asked.

The general nodded. "Yes, we and the rest of the generals were discussing our next move." She looked up at the afternoon sky. "The anniversary of the Full Moon Solstice is upon us."

"What's special about that?" Dagda asked. The other Boggans in the group nodded.

Hortensia shook her head. "I suppose most of you would not know of it. It's the night of the Brightwood queen's succession. Each Full Moon Solstice, she relinquishes her power and their Draíochta chooses a new queen of growth."

Amianth's eyes widened. "That! That's important. How did you find out about it?"

"Mandrake did. I don't know where or how exactly."

"He didn't tell me about it," Dagda said. He was a little insulted that he had to find out about something so big secondhand.

Hortensia glanced down at him, amused. "It took him a while to get that information. Even I only just learned of it recently. I'm sure he has something important for you to take part in. Just be patient."

Dagda brightened. "You think so?"

She dipped her head. "Of course. So you'd better take care of your injuries if you want to make sure you are well enough to convince Mandrake that you're ready."

"I am ready!" The stitches prickled in his leg, and he masked his wince, but Hortensia's eyes flicked down for half a moment. Dagda composed himself feeling a blush creep onto his face. No one else had noticed, but Hortensia's eyes could track a gnat through the mists of winter. Amianth had to inherit her sharp vision from somewhere after all.

Hortensia's lip quirked up. "Even so."

"So are there any plans we need to know about, general?" Marrow piped up.

"For the Solstice, we are still in discussion." Hortensia paused, as though debating her next words. She turned to Dagda. "However, as Mandrake tells it, we still have an arrowhead that doesn't belong to us." Her expression was unreadable when she spoke, and Dagda wished he was as good as his dad at analyzing people. Hortensia smiled at him again. "You're strong. You won't be needing a caretaker much longer." She turned, the blade of her polearm sweeping a line in the dirt as she walked away across the boneyard.

"Uh, did she actually tell us anything about plans?" Marrow asked.

Amianth glanced at Dagda, and he recognized the look. "Dad's going to join the next fight," he said finally.

The gamblers froze and turned to face him. "Whoa, what? The Chief's getting in? Before the Solstice? I thought we would be getting ready for that."

Dagda shook his head. "Yeah, I know. But this is personal."

When Marrow and the others continued to stare at them, Amianth added, "You don't think the Jinn could get away with nearly killing Dagda and it would just be business as usual?" The soldiers nodded in understanding.

The shadows were growing long on the ground as sunset drew nearer. Dagda remembered MK's caveat about returning by sundown. He glanced at Amianth who caught his meaning and nodded.

"We should go. I'm not supposed to be out too long. Getting well and all that stuff," Dagda told his friends.

"Yeah, take care of that." Marrow waved at them as they headed back to the Hollow.

Dagda and Amianth made their way up the winding climbing paths spiraling around the outside of the Hollow. Hortensia didn't need to be so oblique about the impending attack and his dad's planned involvement—or about MK for that matter. The unspoken message buried in her statement passed right beneath the comprehension of the other Boggans in the boneyard, meant only for him and Amianth to understand. Amianth and her aunt were similar in that way, how they liked to say things without actually saying them. It took him years to figure out how it worked. Then again, he lived with his dad, who hardly said anything, verbally or not.

"What're you thinking about?" Amianth asked.

Dagda paused to catch his breath. His chest injury strained with against his inhalations. "I think General Hortensia was trying to say something else. Why didn't she just tell us that Dad was planning to get revenge, instead of hinting at it like that?"

"Maybe she had something to say that she didn't feel comfortable saying openly," Amianth said, coming up alongside him.

"Like what?"

Amianth stared out at the expanse of the Wrathwood from their vantage point. They could see the light of the small bonfires that were blooming to life across the landscape as the evening crawled over the sky. "Like an opinion she wouldn't want the Chief to get wind of from any old messenger."

"You mean she wants me to tell my dad something?"

"Not exactly, if I know her at all." Amianth faced him directly. "What do you think? About your father getting into this fight."

Dagda resumed their hike. "I don't know. It doesn't seem strategic. Which he usually always is."

"Yeah, this isn't his normal tactic."

"Especially not before such an actually important event like the Solstice. Maybe that's why your aunt told us about it like that." Dagda had thought it strange that the general so casually told them about some important plans, especially to a group of average troops. "She wanted us to know there was something more important coming up." He paused as another thought made his stomach twist. "You sure she doesn't want me to talk him out of it? You know how he gets when it's personal."

Amianth stared at him, puckering her lips in shared nervousness. "No, I don't think she would want that. She could just tell him herself. She's not scared of him."

Dagda scuffed the ground with his heel. "He just gets so touchy about the war all the time. I can't even tell if he actually wants me to be a part of it or if he wants me to sit in my room all day and hide under the blankets. On one hand, he really seemed to encourage me when I got strong enough to fight, but he gets so grouchy whenever I question his decisions. Even if it's a tiny little question."

They found the window that led to his room, and they slipped inside. He could see MK sprawled out on the ground, using her bag as a makeshift pillow. The Boggans entered the room as quietly as they could.

"Maybe my aunt was trying to give you a window into the decision-making in this war. I mean, we're of age. Pretty soon we'll be the ones giving the orders," whispered Amianth. "We'll need to learn about this stuff too."

"I don't know if I want the war to be going on long enough for that to happen," Dagda said. "It's been going all our lives. What's it like to _not_ be in one?" He sat down on his bed and rested his chin on his knees.

Amianth mirrored his posture. "Well maybe the Chief has plans for us to win once and for all with the Full Moon Solstice coming up."

Dagda huffed. "Then he shouldn't pick a fight now because of me. He's the leader, he's not supposed to make it personal. Right? Isn't that what leaders are supposed to do?"

"So," Amianth said, peering at him, "does that mean you want to talk him out of it?"

"No way. I don't want him getting all mad at me. He's already being a huge grump since I got hurt." He fell silent for a moment. "Do you think I should? Talk to him I mean."

"Only if you want to. It's your head that would be on the chopping block, not mine," said Amianth. They twitched when MK stirred, letting out a soft groan before she shifted positions and settled back into slumber.

"I wonder what's going to happen to her once I'm better," Dagda said.

"Who knows? He might do anything once she stops being useful to us," replied Amianth. She scrunched her face up in disapproval as she examined the pinkness that MK exuded, from the flush of her skin to the color of her clothes. "Especially because she looks so much like a Jinn. So pale and fleshy, ugh." Her gaze flitted around the room before landing back on him, and its intensity made him tense. "You care about her." There was no judgment in the statement.

Dagda tried to shrug as casually as he could. "She saved my life. She didn't have to do that. I feel like if I were in that situation, I would want people to help me, not try to kill me." MK, at least, knew what she believed in and fought for it. _Something more important than yourself,_ they'd agreed, but Dagda wasn't sure if what he was fighting for was worth it. He couldn't even stand up to his dad about it, but he was sure MK would have gotten into that argument in a heartbeat and even won. She was a flame that, maybe if he kept around long enough, would light up his own courage as well. Heart of fire indeed.

* * *

MK opened her eyes and lurched upright. Darkness wrapped around her, and she rubbed her eyes. She scanned the room, struggling to make out anything in the bad lighting. The sound of shuffling caught her attention.

"Dagda? Amianth?" The forms in the room resolved as her eyes adjusted, until everything glowed under the blue starlight that filtered in through the windows.

"Hi, MK," Dagda said. "Amianth is out on a scouting mission." His shoulders slumped. "I wanted to join her, but I know I'm not allowed."

MK sat down next to him by his bed. "You still need to rest."

"That's what everyone keeps saying." He shifted his weight where he sat and picked at one of his fingernails.

"What's wrong?" MK asked.

"Nothing."

MK canted her head and looked down her nose at him with her best Grumpy Librarian stare. "Dagda."

"Nothing! I'm serious!"

"You don't have to tell me what's bothering you if you don't want to, but I know when someone is turning something over in their head," she said.

She watched him turn that something over and over, for nearly ten minutes without saying a word. "Where will you go when I don't need you to take care of me anymore?" he asked.

MK raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I can just leave anytime soon. I'm kind of stuck here." Her expression dropped. She rested her head on her knees. Time didn't move the same way in this tiny world. MK often felt as though she'd undergone a year's worth of adventure between a single rising and setting of the sun. Her dad might have been waiting a week, or maybe an entire month.

"Now you're turning something over in your head," Dagda said with a smirk.

"Well, since you posed the question to me, I'm trying to actually figure out how much longer I'll have to stay put." MK stared out into the darkness. Moonlight pooled in several sections of the floor, creating a patchwork of silver. "I wasn't planning for this, you know. To stay small. I want to go back to my normal size and be a regular human being again."

"I'm glad you didn't," said Dagda. His eyes darted down, avoiding her gaze. "I mean, if you went back to normal too soon, I might not be alive."

MK gave him a soft smile, hoping he could actually see it. "That's true."

"I hope you don't have to be stuck here for long too. If I knew how, I would help you try to figure it out," Dagda said. "Since you helped me a lot already. It's only fair."

Warmth bloomed in her chest, and she found her smile stretching into a grin. "Thank you, Dagda. You've already been a big help though."

He tilted his head like a curious bird. "How?"

"I look like your worst enemy. How many steps could I honestly have taken into Wrathwood without getting beat up or killed?"

Dagda's eyebrows furrowed. "Um, you're kind of scary, you know. When you're mad? I bet everyone would have done whatever you told them."

MK put a hand to her heart in mock indignation, miming Nod's classic gesture. "Am I really that bad?"

He snickered. "You're kind of that bad."

"I was terrified, you know!"

"No, I'm serious, I bet you even make my dad nervous."

That had her doubled over with laughter. When the ridiculousness stopped making her spit out fits of giggling, she said, "Seriously, though, it was a big help that you came to my defense. You didn't even know I was a Stomper yet. You just trusted me."

"I don't know. It just felt right. And I didn't want to die." Their amusement fizzled out like a doused fuse. Dagda spoke in hushed tones, as though he were sharing a secret. "I was really scared. There was still so much walking to do, but I wanted to just fall over. I was so tired, I couldn't fight you if you were an actual Jinn. But you fixed me up, and it made me feel like I could be brave again."

He looked up at her. "I'll make sure no one tries to hurt you here. Not even Dad."

MK's skin prickled. "Does he intend to hurt me?" From her one-on-ones with Mandrake, it didn't seem to be the case. But she barely knew the Boggan.

"I don't think so. But I never can tell with him. Sometimes I think I understand what he's thinking, but then he just decides something, and I'm confused all over again," Dagda said.

She could tell it frustrated him. From what she saw, it was obvious Mandrake cared about his son, but maybe didn't know how to show it so that Dagda knew. A pang shot through her chest as she thought about her own bewildered father, struggling to figure out what MK needed and when she needed it. _Lost without Mom_, she thought. Dagda's own mother wasn't there, and Dagda implied she had died, but MK had no idea when.

Dagda's current position was one MK remembered well—all the years she spent trying to understand why she couldn't connect with her dad. _Why isn't he replying to my letters, Mom? Why won't he call? Isn't he coming for Christmas?_ She could see the mirror image of her nine-year-old self sitting before her, pondering the ways he could do things differently, how he could do things better. MK floundered with the words that danced on the tip of her tongue. How could she, without sounding presumptuous or without furthering his confusion, assure Dagda that it wasn't his fault?

In the end, the words didn't make it out. She reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a comforting shake. The two of them sat in silence, listening to the distant symphony of crickets floating through the night, waiting for Amianth to return.

* * *

Chapter 10 comes out some time next week. Unfortunately, I do not have an excerpt, title, or date of release for the upcoming chapter, as I am graduating next week and my family is coming for the festivities and there are many loose ends to tie up, so I'm currently flying by the seat of my pants with the updates. But I promise there will be an update next week. It will, in all probability, actually be earlier than the usual Friday updates, since I'm most likely going to just sit down and grind it out early on. Let's posit Wednesday night for my target deadline as my schedule kind of goes to hell after that.


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